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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27019585">Hit and Run [Smash Into You: Book 2]</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/alysurr/pseuds/alysurr'>alysurr</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Smash Into You [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alcohol, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alcoholics Anonymous, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Arrest, Clubbing, DUI, Drug Dealing, F/F, F/M, Family Drama, Hospitals, ICU, M/M, Motor Vehicle Accident, Motorcycles, Ramadan, Recreational Drug Use, References to Drugs, Sex, Sobriety, Underage Drinking, injuries, motorcycle accident</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 04:21:33</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>32</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>66,707</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27019585</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/alysurr/pseuds/alysurr</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Mermista and Sea Hawk think they have everything the way they want. Sea Hawk can keep Mermista out of the drug distribution scene, and Mermista can avoid getting hurt or distracted from school by not giving into the emotional side of this.<br/>That's what no strings attached means, right? No feelings, just fun? </p><p>Book 2 of Smash Into You, a Seamista AU.</p><p>https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4YEUzdNLRy1B8LtxnaoCUm?si=P5mpQDwfRX2bdeKabxW7Ug<br/>I have an Official Smash Playlist and it is being updated frequently~</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Adora/Catra (She-Ra), Bow/Glimmer (She-Ra), Bow/Jewelstar (She-Ra), Mermista &amp; Perfuma (She-Ra), Mermista/Sea Hawk (She-Ra), Perfuma/Scorpia (She-Ra)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Smash Into You [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1969561</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>170</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>87</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. a night of birthday adventures</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Sea Hawk lounged on Mermista’s bed, watching her as she dug through her closet in her underwear. She had a dark red dress slung over her shoulder, saying that was the backup plan, but she was clearly looking for something else. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fucking here it is,” she said, mostly to herself, before hanging the dress back up. Sea Hawk admired her as she shimmied into a gorgeous burgundy skirt that hugged her curves and stopped mid-thigh. It was almost the exact same shade of the button-up he was wearing, open over a white t-shirt. She pulled a few different dark gray tops off of hangers and walked over to him, laying them out over his charcoal pants.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think the middle one is the closest,” Sea Hawk offered. Mermista nodded, slipping it on over her head and tucking it into the skirt before returning the other two to their hangers. She completed the outfit with a cropped black leather jacket. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where are those black heels? Ughhhh, I’m gonna be </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> pissed if I left them at your house…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sea Hawk pushed himself off the bed, unzipped his backpack and pulled out a pair of black corset heels. “Do you mean…” he paused for dramatic effect. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>These</span>
  </em>
  <span> heels?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mermista turned to him and grinned. “Yes! Thank you!” She sat on the bed, holding out a hand for the heels. Instead of handing them over, Sea Hawk dropped to his knees and began to put them on for her, taking a moment to lean forward and kiss her knee before he tied the laces up. These shoes looked like an absolute death trap, but Mermista insisted they were super comfortable and she looked like a bombshell in them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Well, she looked like a bombshell in anything. Running his hands up her calves and over her thighs as he stood up, Sea Hawk pushed her back onto her bed and climbed on top of her, a devilish grin painted across his face. Mermista allowed him a few deep kisses before pushing him away. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re gonna make us late again,” she warned. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Me? </span>
  <em>
    <span>Again</span>
  </em>
  <span>? I’ll have you know, last time </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> started it, gatinha.” Sea Hawk put a hand on his chest, feigning offense. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, but </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> finished it,” Mermista smirked, smoothing out her skirt as he climbed off of her. She stood and gave his pouting lips one more kiss. “We just can’t be late picking up Bow tonight. Everything has to be, like, perfect for his surprise party, and that means he’s gotta be there on time. So put your shoes on.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes ma’am.”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>“Awww, look at you guys matching,” Bow said as he exited his apartment building. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shut up,” Mermista glowered as Sea Hawk opened his arms wide for a hug. Bow happily ran into it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Happy Birthday, my good man!” Sea Hawk exclaimed, squeezing Bow tightly enough to pick him up off the ground. “Are you ready for a night of birthday adventures!?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re just going to dinner, chill, dude,” Mermista said, punching Sea Hawk in the arm before opening the passenger door to the Mazda and sliding back into the car. He was definitely going to ruin the surprise aspect of this party. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sea Hawk got into the driver’s side and Bow slid into the back seat, positioning himself in the middle. He looked around for a second at the unfamiliar interior of the vehicle and asked: “Hey, what happened to the Jeep?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mermista, who was reapplying her lipstick in the visor mirror rolled her eyes. “Yeah, Sea Hawk, what </span>
  <em>
    <span>happened</span>
  </em>
  <span> to the Jeep?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I set it on fire!” Sea Hawk boasted, way too cheerfully. </span>
</p><p><span>“</span><em><span>WHAT!?”</span></em> <span>Bow exclaimed.</span></p><p>
  <span>Mermista rolled her eyes. “That’s literally not what happened. Thanks to your influence, dumbass here was driving home and decided to race a fucking </span>
  <em>
    <span>Subaru</span>
  </em>
  <span> from a red light down Main St at 1am and—“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>They</span>
  </em>
  <span> challenged </span>
  <em>
    <span>me!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Sea Hawk protested.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whatever. The Subaru’s tires were shitty and one of them blew, causing them to lose control of their car and crash right into the Jeep—“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And then it caught on fire!” Sea Hawk said proudly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, so it was an accident,” Bow said thoughtfully. “Were you in the car too, Mermista?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No. I had just gotten off as well, so I was behind him. I literally felt like I watched it in slow motion,” Mermista said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The Jeep was </span>
  <em>
    <span>made</span>
  </em>
  <span> for </span>
  <em>
    <span>speed</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Sea Hawk proclaimed. “But Mermista insisted I replace her with a car that has less than 8 cylinders for my own personal safety.” He seemed a little sad about it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So he doesn’t drive himself into a fucking tree or a wall,” Mermista corrected him. “Not to </span>
  <em>
    <span>mention</span>
  </em>
  <span> how goddamn expensive your insurance is </span>
  <em>
    <span>now</span>
  </em>
  <span>, another car like that would have made it way worse.” She crossed her arms over her chest. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sea Hawk reached over the center console and put a hand on her knee. “Good thing I have such a beautiful, intelligent woman to look out for me, then.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, </span>
  <em>
    <span>someone</span>
  </em>
  <span> has to,” Mermista said. Bow saw her cheeks flush in the visor mirror just before she flipped it shut. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bow and Glimmer had a bet going on to see who was going to crack first between Sea Hawk and Mermista. They had definitely been a thing since probably before Mermista introduced Sea Hawk to them all last year, but whatever it was, they weren’t admitting to it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But the matching outfits, the fact that they were nearly always together unless they were fighting, the casual touches, Sea Hawk’s karaoke serenades, and their nonstop flirting that usually evolved into hookups by the end of the night definitely said something about them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sea Hawk looked at Mermista like she was the center of his world, and Mermista, who pretended not to care about anything, clearly cared deeply about Sea Hawk’s personal safety. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>So far, Bow had lost the last four bets. He thought by the end of last year, then by Valentine’s Day, then before summer vacation, </span>
  <em>
    <span>surely </span>
  </em>
  <span>once summer was over and Mermista returned to Salineas from Miami after three long months of being apart, they were going to break and confess to everyone that they were together and in love. Okay, so he was a hopeless romantic. Who could blame him?! He just wanted to see his friends happy. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where did you say we were going again?” Bow asked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s called Wa—“ Sea Hawk began, but Mermista put her hand over his mouth and shushed him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We didn’t,” Mermista replied. “Don’t ask. Actually, Sea Hawk, do you still have that bandana?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course, coisa linda!” Sea Hawk dug it out of his back pocket, and Mermista folded it into a long rectangle. She unbuckled her seatbelt and moved so she was facing Bow in the back seat. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Turn around,” she commanded. Bow adjusted for her and she tied it around his head, slipping it over his eyes like a blindfold. “Comfy?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, but--” Bow began.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey--pay attention to the road, not my ass, grabby!” Mermista scolded Sea Hawk, who was giggling ridiculously, followed by the sound of her smacking his arm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, how did brunch with your dads go?” Sea Hawk asked as Mermista shifted back to sitting normally. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It went great! That place you guys recommended downtown was amazing! Lance said it was the best stuffed French toast he’s ever had! How did you find out about it, anyways?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I picked up Mermista from the airport when she came back from Miami. She was starving, it was raining, so we were driving around looking for somewhere to eat. It was the first sit down restaurant we passed that was open that morning,” Sea Hawk said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Aw, that sounds nice,” Bow said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Until Sea Hawk accidentally set our tablecloth on fire and got us blacklisted from there forever,” Mermista said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Details, details.”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>“Are you sure this place is open?” Bow asked as Sea Hawk was hoisting Mermista through a window. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pretty sure,” Sea Hawk said, flinching as the heel of Mermista’s shoe dug into his shoulder. He gently grabbed her ankle to steady her and remove it from his collarbone before she disappeared through the window with a muffled apology. A few moments later, Sea Hawk had him by the arm and was leading him to where Mermista was waving them towards her through a newly unlocked back door. As Bow and Sea Hawk joined her in the empty hallway, the faint sound of music could be heard through the walls. Mermista tugged at the knot on the bandana and pulled it off of Bow’s head, careful not to mess up his hair. She smoothed out his collar for good measure.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh, are you sure this is the right building?” Bow asked, the anxiety in his voice increasing as he looked around the empty concrete walls and floors of the hallway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, Bow,” Mermista said, wiping off Sea Hawk’s shoulder where her shoe had left a mark. “Come on, we rented a private dining room for us, Jewelstar is waiting.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Man, I wish Glimmer could be here,” Bow said softly, deflating.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What, are we not good enough for you?” Mermista asked, narrowing her eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s not </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span>, she’s just never missed any of my birthdays, ever! And the first one she misses is my 21st!?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry my good friend,” Sea Hawk said, throwing his arm around Bow’s shoulders. “You’re going to have such a wonderful and fun night tonight, with your man and your best pals, that you’ll completely forget about Glitter.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bow nodded, straightening his shoulders. “Yeah! I’ve got my friends and my boyfriend! It’s gonna be great! Let’s go.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As they walked down the long hallway, Mermista suddenly said: “Man, I just realized I’m the only one here not of legal drinking age.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah but your birthday’s only in two more weeks,” Bow offered. Mermista looked at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My </span>
  <em>
    <span>twentieth</span>
  </em>
  <span> birthday,” she said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, right, I forgot how young you are,” Bow teased. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ugh, whatever, shut it,” Mermista said as they approached a pair of double doors at the end of the hall. She knocked rhythmically, and noises began to shuffle behind the doors. After what felt like several minutes, one of the doors opened and Jewelstar was standing there dressed in a gorgeous dark purple suit with a pink tie. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Happy Birthday, my love!” He exclaimed, and Mermista and Sea Hawk stepped to the side so that they could embrace. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He led them to a table in the center of the room, which was dimly lit and decorated with purple, gold and red accents and flowers. There were place settings for everyone, and a waiter dressed in a tuxedo stood nearby with a bottle of wine, which he uncorked and began to pour very modest glasses of once they all had sat down before disappearing without another word. Jewelstar and Sea Hawk started a conversation about boats while Mermista swirled her wine glass absentmindedly, staring at something behind Bow. He turned to look, and it was just another door. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s wrong?” He asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nothing,” Mermista said, before emptying her glass in one drink. She pulled out her phone and started texting someone while she and Bow sat in silence, awkward only for him, for several more minutes while Bow slowly sipped on his wine. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mermista cleared her throat after a while, and Sea Hawk immediately stopped what he was saying to Jewel mid-sentence and asked, “Hey, where did that waiter go?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good question!” Jewelstar said enthusiastically, standing up. He grabbed Bow’s arm, pulling him up with him. “Let’s go find him!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“O-okay,” Bow said as Jewelstar hooked an arm through his, leading him to the door Mermista had been staring at. Bow was pretty sure the waiter had gone through a different door, so he was confused when Jewel grabbed the handle to pull it open. He pushed Bow through a gap in a pair of dark gray curtains. Suddenly, music began blasting through the room with heavy bass, and Glimmer as well as all of their friends stood there yelling “SURPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BOW!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sea Hawk got up and offered Mermista a hand after Jewelstar disappeared through the curtains behind Bow. He pulled her into an embrace with his face inches away from hers. “So, gatinha, who can’t keep a secret?” Mermista wasn’t sure if she wanted to wipe that smirk off of his face or put his mouth to good use. She rolled her eyes instead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You </span>
  <em>
    <span>almost</span>
  </em>
  <span> told him the name of the venue,” she said. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>And</span>
  </em>
  <span> you forgot to blindfold him.” She placed a hand on the back of his head and kissed him, much easier when her heels made their height difference smaller. “But you didn’t, so I guess good job, or whatever.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sea Hawk beamed down at her as she stepped back and pushed their chairs in. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on, goober, let’s go party,” Mermista said, and shook her head with a smile as he followed her through the curtains, belting out a song. </span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Mermista was two drinks in when Sea Hawk convinced her to join him on the dance floor. Well, more like dragged her on to it as soon as she didn’t immediately say no. Sea Hawk had a lot more experience dancing than Mermista, but they’d been out dancing many times since their dance in the kitchen at his dad’s house, and Sea Hawk was a good teacher. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Besides, she wasn’t exactly against activities that required his hands be all over her body. His hands slid up her thighs, down her waist and hips as he led her through something she briefly remembered him calling kizomba, fast paced but not so fast that she couldn’t keep up with him. His confident smile and dark, focused eyes were making her regret not taking his clothes off on her bed earlier.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Still, they had plenty of time. The night was young, after all. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mermista smirked as she grinded up on him, taking the lead and turning so she had her back to him with his arms crossing over her torso, then dipped down before sliding back up against him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe we should take this somewhere private,” Sea Hawk growled into her ear after a few similar moves, his breath puffing over her ear sending pulses down to her core.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Normally I’d agree, but Catra said the bathrooms here were kind of sketch,” Mermista said, teasing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sea Hawk looked around the club for a moment before he said, “Well, there’s a stage so… I imagine we can find a dressing room.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I knew I kept you around for a reason,” Mermista practically purred before grabbing his wrist and leading him towards the stage. It was stupidly easy to find a dressing room since they were labeled as such with fluorescent paint. The door wasn’t locked, and Mermista quickly shoved Sea Hawk in before closing it and locking it behind them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was a tiny room with just a vanity that looked like it would fall apart if you looked at it wrong, a tiny barstool and a metal clothing rack which looked more like a lost and found than costume storage. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>[WARNING / EXPLICIT SEXUAL CONTENT / SKIP TO NEXT CHAPTER IF YOU DON’T WANT TO READ IT]</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>That observation was quickly pushed aside as Sea Hawk pushed Mermista against the wall, holding her hips as he kissed her hungrily. A small, breathy moan pushed her mouth open and his tongue swept inside as he untucked her shirt so he could slide his hands under it, his fingers frantically exploring her bare skin. He parted her legs with his thigh, and she could feel him growing hard as she wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her body against him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mermista dropped to her knees, slipping the crossbody clutch she had slung over herself off before tossing it to the side, and started working on his belt. Sea Hawk leaned against the wall with a content sigh as she unzips his pants, then groans a little at the friction she causes when she yanks them down with his boxers. “Careful, gracin--</span>
  <em>
    <span>haa</span>
  </em>
  <span>--” he breaks off as Mermista runs her tongue up his shaft then takes his member deep into her warm, wet mouth, involuntarily thrusting himself even deeper. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He used to apologize, but now he knew she liked it this rough. His hand found the back of her head and held onto it, fingers tangled in her hair as she bobbed her head up and down, swirling her tongue around his length. Neither of them were able to contain their moans, and Mermista was relieved they were in a private, secluded room rather than a shaky bathroom stall. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>After some time, Sea Hawk pulled out of Mermista’s mouth and she stood up, barely on her feet before he picked her up and slammed her back against the wall, his mouth back on hers as she wrapped her legs around his waist and he shoved her skirt up around her hips. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mmm, so wet for me already gatinha,” Sea Hawk purred into Mermista’s ear as he slipped his hand between her thighs. He shoved her panties to the side, sliding two fingers into her easily as he sucked on her neck, causing her to cry out as she buried her face into his shoulder. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sea Hawk’s thumb swirls around Mermista’s clit until she’s shaking against him, thankful that he’s holding onto her right now, because she felt like melting onto the floor. Then she’s arching her back, crying out as he shoves his fingers even deeper inside of her, curling and pumping them mercilessly, whispering Portuguese in her ear and it’s so fucking hot as she comes in his arms. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mermista leans her head back against the wall, panting as her orgasm dies down, shivering again when Sea Hawk slipping his fingers out of her. He presses soft kisses to her jaw and exposed neck until she moves in to kiss him back. “You smell so good,” she blurts out suddenly, and a smile spreads across Sea Hawk’s face as he pulls back to look at her. Mermista almost never compliments him so directly, so it catches him off guard. Her brown eyes are wide and her face is flushed somehow even redder as she realizes what she just said, so instead of teasing her, Sea Hawk kisses her again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His kisses are so soft and sweet, but Mermista wants more. Needs more. She deepens it, sweeping her tongue into his mouth and moving her hand between their bodies to grab his member and line it up with her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A recent addition to their agreement was that, as long as neither of them was sleeping with other partners, they didn’t have to worry about condoms once they’d both been tested and were found to be clean. Mermista felt confident in her birth control, so really they were just using them for STDs. And neither of them had even considered other partners since the week Sea Hawk disappeared to Vancouver Island. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Together, they were just way too good to want anything else.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sea Hawk pulled back and pressed his lips to the space below her ear, then swept his tongue up her earlobe. “Ready, Misty?” he whispers.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” Mermista chokes, gripping the fabric of his shirt as he thrusts into her with a sharp inhale, stretching her walls around him. He rolls his hips slowly at first, letting her adjust, then pulls almost all the way out before slamming back into her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mermista cries out, tightening her grip on him like she feels like she might fall, whimpering and moaning with every little movement. “I got you, gatinha,” Sea Hawk assures her as he tightens the grip on her ass, not missing a beat as he continues to pound into her. “You feel--so--fucking--good.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fuck, Sebastian,” Mermista whines into his ear, and the sound of his name just fuels Sea Hawk to move even faster as he pumps in and out of her. He’s not going to last long like this, but Mermista is singing the most beautiful sounds into his ear and he doesn’t care, he just wants to hear his name again. He feels her shiver and shake in his arms as she tightens her grip on his shoulders, her nails digging into his back. “C-close,” she sighs. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s it, gatinha, come for me, sweetheart,” Sea Hawk breathes into her ear. He’s getting close, too, the pressure building up inside of him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mermista’s orgasm tears through her with a shudder, and she’s crying out his name again into his neck, buying her face into him as he pushes her over the edge. “Sebastian--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As soon as the first syllable is out, he shatters, a groan forcing itself out of his throat as he comes hard inside of her. Mermista presses her forehead to his, and they lean into each other, panting as they recover. Sea Hawk slips out of her after a few moments, helping her gently to her feet, then pressing a kiss to her forehead, closing his eyes for a moment as she leaned into him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Need a baby wipe?” She said after a few moments, moving to where her abandoned clutch was and opening it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Always prepared, gracinha, aren’t you?” Sea Hawk asks with a smirk as he takes one from her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I thought they might come in handy.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. so this is happening</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jewelstar leaned over to where Mermista was lounging in the booth, her head tilted back and eyes closed. “I think your boyfriend is trying to steal mine,”Jewel said. </p><p>“He’s not my boyfriend,” Mermista said immediately, then leaned forward to watch where Sea Hawk was currently leading Bow through a fairly complicated dance. They were both laughing. </p><p>“Oh, I’m sorry,” Jewel said.</p><p>“It’s cool,” Mermista grabbed her drink and started playing with the straw, stirring it around. “You don’t hang out with us that much.”</p><p>“Yeah, I just thought, because you guys are always together…” Jewel shrugged, sipping on his drink. </p><p>“We’re just good friends. Neither of us are looking for a relationship right now.” Mermista grinned at him. “So you don’t have anything to worry about with Bow. Not today, at least.” </p><p>Catra approached the table and dramatically laid down on the booth, her head in Mermista’s lap. </p><p>“Uh, can I help you?” Mermista asked. </p><p>“No, this is fine,” Catra said, eyes closed as she snuggled into Mermista’s lap like a pillow. “Wait, actually, can you play with my hair?”</p><p>“Stars, Catra, who knew that drunk you was such a cuddler,” Mermista said, half-heartedly rubbing Catra’s scalp with her fingers.</p><p>“Hey, we both know you like to be the big spoon,” Catra said before passing out. </p><p>“Oh, okay, so this is happening,” Mermista said, Jewel laughing next to her. She snapped a quick picture of Catra sleeping peacefully in her lap, and just said “blackmail” when Jewel gave her a look. </p><p>Jewelstar was, like, really nice, and he and Bow were super good together. But he always went out of his way to make conversation and couldn’t stand to sit in silence. Mermista would literally rather say nothing than try to keep up with awkward small talk, and she was too tired to entertain an actual conversation right now.</p><p>“Looks like your man’s getting tired out, you should go rescue him,” she said after watching Jewel open and close his mouth out of the corner of her eye a few times. </p><p>“Yeah!” Jewel said as he got to his feet. Mermista watched as he approached them, saying something as he took Bow’s hand. Sea Hawk glanced over at Mermista with a grin, before nodding, saying something to them and heading over to her. He was practically bouncing. </p><p>“Ready to dance again?” He asked, hopeful. He’d asked like two other times since they’d returned from the dressing room, but Mermista was tired and didn’t really want to get stuck in a slow song, like the DJ had been playing. </p><p>“I can’t, got a cat in my lap,” Mermista said dryly. Sea Hawk cocked his head to the side in confusion, then peered over the table. As soon as he saw Catra sleeping with her head in Mermista’s laugh, a grin spread across his face. </p><p>“Ah, bonitinha,” he said with a chuckle, then slid into the booth next to Mermista. He grabbed her drink and finished it off in one sip.</p><p>“Hey,” Mermista protested. “Rude.”</p><p>“I’ll get you another one,” Sea Hawk said, reaching to squeeze her knee without disturbing Catra. As soon as he moved to get up, Mermista grabbed his arm.</p><p>“Just chill here with me for a while?” she asked. </p><p>“Of course,” Sea Hawk replied, cozying back up to her. She leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder. She closed her eyes with a content sigh, and the next thing she knew she was shivering as she was being carried outside. </p><p>She startled, and Sea Hawk squeezed her a little tighter. “I got you, Misty. You fell asleep,” he said softly. </p><p>“Oh, shit,” Mermista said, yawning into his chest. “What time is it?”</p><p>“A little after two. Time to go home.”</p><p>Mermista nodded in agreement. She’d fallen asleep probably half an hour ago. “I can walk,” she said. </p><p>“We’re already here,” Sea Hawk replied as he gently set her to her feet, opening the passenger door to the Mazda for her. He closed the door after she got in and went over to get in on the driver’s side.</p><p>“Are you sure you’re okay to drive?” Mermista asked as she put on her seatbelt.</p><p>Sea Hawk nodded as he started the car. “Yeah. I stopped drinking at midnight, ate something and had plenty of water. Plus it’s only a couple of miles.” </p><p>“Okay,” Mermista said, suddenly feeling how dry her mouth was at the mention of water. She started looking around for where they’d stashed bottles of water in the car earlier that day. Sea Hawk grabbed one for her from the back of her seat, and put it in her hand. “Thank you.” </p><p>“Of course,” Sea Hawk said, pressing a kiss to her temple. He placed a hand on her thigh as he began to drive the car towards his townhouse. Mermista took a big drink from the water bottle and rested her hand on his, pressing her forehead to the cool glass window, watching the buildings go by as the radio played something with a steady beat and soft vocals. </p><p>“Hey, what happened to Catra?” Mermista asked, suddenly remembering that she was also sleeping. </p><p>“Her roommate… DT? I think? The one that’s always calling me Hot Stuff? They woke her up and they went home.” Mermista snorted at his description of Double Trouble. Double Trouble’s real name was Dylan Taylor, but they went by Double Trouble on stage and DT off stage. They were Catra’s partner in crime and roommate, an old friend from high school. And they always made it <em> very </em> clear they were into Sea Hawk, at least on a physical level. They’d even asked for a dance when Mermista turned him down the first time, and Sea Hawk obliged. Come to think of it, DT was probably Sea Hawk’s most skilled dance partner of the night. </p><p>“Good, good,” Mermista said with a sigh of relief, returning her forehead to the window as she absentmindedly rubbed circles onto the back of Sea Hawk’s hand with her thumb. “Remind me to set an alarm for noon so I can have time to get ready for my swim meet.” </p><p>“Why don’t you set it right now?” Sea Hawk asked, resulting in a groan from Mermista. “Okay, okay, I’ll remind you,” he laughed.</p><p>Mermista managed to stay awake until they got to the townhouse, barely taking the time to wipe off her face with a makeup wipe and change into one of Sea Hawk’s old shirts and a pair of his comfiest sweatpants before crawling into his bed and burrowing under the blankets.</p><p>On the other hand, Sea Hawk was somehow really energetic, taking her phone out of her hand and setting the alarm for her before putting it on the charger. </p><p>“Hey, I wasn’t done with that,” Mermista whined, pulling the extra blanket Sea Hawk had for when she was sleeping over tighter around herself. </p><p>“You’re going to fall asleep while on it, then it’s going to be dead in the morning because you didn’t charge it, gatinha,” Sea Hawk warned. Mermista groaned in response and he climbed on top of her in the bed, putting his whole body weight on her. For some reason, this was <em> super </em> comforting to Mermista, at least for a few moments. Especially when the moments involved him kissing her face all over. </p><p>Sea Hawk folded his hands over hers and asked if she wanted anything specific for breakfast the next morning. Marcos, who had been staying in his guest bedroom for the last few weeks while his and Megan’s house was being built, loved to cook and didn’t work on the weekends. Because of him, weekend mornings were practically buffets with a blend of American and Brazilian style breakfast foods. Sea Hawk could cook too, he just wasn’t as into breakfast as Marcos was, preferring to put more effort into dinner. Mermista hated cooking, so she was happy for all the handouts she could get.</p><p>She shrugged. "Nothing in particular, I'm sure whatever he makes will be great."</p><p>“Goodnight, then, gatinha. Sweet dreams.” Sea Hawk rolled off the bed, went to the dresser for a change of clothes, then headed towards the doorway with them. </p><p>“Where are you going?” Mermista mumbled. “Come cuddle with me.”</p><p>“I’m not tired yet,” Sea Hawk said with an apologetic chuckle from the doorway. “Sorry. I think all that dancing gave me a boost of adrenaline or, uh, endorphins, or--whatever it is that gives you energy after you work out.” Mermista grumbled again in protest, but turned over to her side and pulled the blanket over her head. </p><p>Sea Hawk took a quick shower and got dressed in the guest bathroom so he didn’t disturb Mermista, before heading to the kitchen. He might not have been completely honest when he said he stopped drinking at midnight, but it still wasn't quite enough. He filled a glass with ice and Jonnie Walker Black and sipped on it while he flipped through Netflix for something entertaining but easy to digest. It took an hour and another glass before he finally felt like he could fall asleep. He abandoned the bottle and the glass on the end table in the living room and joined Mermista in bed. </p><p>Her eyes fluttered open as he did, and a big, lazy smile spread across her face as she moved to cuddle up to him. Half asleep and still drunk, she grabbed his face a little aggressively.</p><p>“Hey, Sebastian,” she mumbled, a little slurred, before moving to kiss him. It was messy and clumsy, and she pulled back after a few moments, eyebrows furrowed as she licked her lips. “Why do you taste weird?” </p><p>“I don’t know, gatinha, maybe you forgot to brush your teeth,” Sea Hawk said in a calming voice with no bite, rubbing her back. She nodded slowly as she processed what he said, then started to climb over him. “Where are you going?” Sea Hawk asked with a laugh, grabbing her waist to keep her in place.</p><p>“Brush my teeth,” Mermista mumbled, half asleep. </p><p>“No, no, no, Misty, don’t worry about that. Brush them in the morning. Go back to sleep.” Mermista didn’t protest as he moved her back to where she had been. She buried her face into his chest, gripping the fabric of his shirt with her fist, and almost immediately fell back to sleep with her leg hooked around his as he gently rubbed his hand up and down her side. </p><p>It wasn’t long before the sound of her soft breathing lulled him to sleep, too. </p><hr/><p>If Mermista remembered the conversation the next morning, she didn’t mention it. She woke up before her alarm, crawled out of bed to take a shower and brush her teeth, then got right back into bed until Sea Hawk started waking up. He rolled over and pulled her closer burying his head in her neck. </p><p>“Wet,” he mumbled, a hand moving up to tangle itself in Mermista’s damp hair. He inhaled deeply and sighed contentedly. Mermista laughed as his mustache tickled her shoulder, looping an arm under him to squeeze his butt. She felt him smile against her neck, then press his lips to it, softly at first and then a little deeper, moving to her jawline and then earlobe. The hand on the back of her head began softly stroking the sensitive spot on the nape of her neck that he knew drove her insane. </p><p>[WARNING / SEXUAL CONTENT / SKIP TO NEXT CHAPTER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO READ]</p><p>Mermista shifted so that her body was pressed up against his, capturing his lips with hers. Sea Hawk wrapped his arms around her, rubbing them up and down her back as she deepened the kiss, grinding her hips into his. </p><p>“Someone’s in the mood,” Sea Hawk teased, smiling against her lips as he began to grow hard with the friction between them. </p><p>“Do something about it,” Mermista murmured against his lips.</p><p>“I will, just give me a minute,” Sea Hawk whispered, wanting to enjoy her like this a little bit longer. He ran his hands from her hips to her waist, exploring every inch of her skin as they exchanged lazy kisses. Mermista tugged his shirt off, pulling it over his head and tossing it to the side, then Sea Hawk did the same with hers. </p><p>He moved a hand to her breast and she sighed into his mouth as he ran circles over her nipple, the skin around it pebbling. He pinched it ever so slightly, relishing in the way she moaned into his mouth. </p><p>She hadn’t put pants back on before she crawled back into bed, so Sea Hawk easily slipped his hand into her panties, parting her slick folds with his fingers. Her breath hitched as he slipped two fingers inside of her warm, wet entrance, and she arched her back, pressing up against him as he held onto her with the other arm. </p><p>“So wet for me already,” Sea Hawk purred, pressing kisses down her neck as he pushed his long fingers deeper inside of her, stroking her walls in a slow and gentle manner he could only get away with on mornings like this when Mermista still had some patience left. She hooked a leg around his waist, spreading herself wider for him as he began to circle her clit with his thumb, slowly building her up. She shoved her tongue into his mouth, running a hand up his check and cupping his pec, and he couldn’t help but respond with a moan at her touch. </p><p>Mermista pulled her mouth back, pressing her forehead to his as he picked up the pace and he breathing became unsteady. </p><p>“Feel good, gatinha?” Sea Hawk asked, and Mermista just nodded as she moaned, tightening the grip she had on him with her leg as he continued to stroke her walls. “Good,” he said softly, kissing her once more before picking up the pace. “Because you are so goddamn beautiful when you’re getting off.” </p><p>He pushed her onto her back and climbed on top of her, keeping his fingers inside of her as he used the other hand to remove her panties. Her hands fell to the side and she was gripping the sheets as she lifted her hips from the bed. </p><p>“Harder,” Mermista half hissed, then cried out as Sea Hawk pushed a third finger inside of her. Her flushed faced, parted lips and half-lidded eyes combined with the beautiful sounds she was making were enough to send him over the edge. She came with staccato cries and her walls clenching around his fingers. He guided her the entire way, slowing down as the waves of her orgasm subsided, but not stopping until he saw her hands relax and her thighs stopped shaking. </p><p>Mermista opened her eyes, panting, to the sight of Sea Hawk kneeling in front of her with beautifully tousled bed head. His eyes raked over her as he licked his fingers clean like she was the most delicious thing in the world. His light blue joggers did little to hide his erection, and it looked like he wasn’t wearing anything under them. </p><p>Mermista sat up and reached a hand out. She began running her nails down his chest and over his abs, which were honestly unfair, before taking hold of his waistband and yanking his sweatpants down, confirming her observation as she released his erection. She didn’t waste any time before taking it in her hand and stroking his length slowly. </p><p>At her touch Sea Hawk gasped, quickly moving to remove his pants the rest of the way before leaning towards Mermista, shuddering and kissing her as she continued to stroke him. She pulled him closer to her, moving her head to his neck as she ran her tongue along his jaw and around his earlobe. He shivered in her arms, whimpering in her ear as she dragged the head of his cock down her slit, getting it nice and wet before she lined him up with her entrance. All the while, a torrent of heat was moving through Mermista, finding its way to her center. </p><p>“Gostosa,” he whispered. </p><p>“Fuck me, Sea Hawk,” Mermista commanded, her lips on his ear. They moaned in unison as he pushed himself inside of her. Mermista wrapped her legs around him tightly, pulling him deeper inside of her, rolling her hips underneath him. Sea Hawk muffled his own noises by pressing his open mouth to her neck, sucking gently, knowing not to make a mark where anyone could see. He scraped his teeth across her throat as he began to fall into a rhythm of leisurely rocking into her, savoring the way it made her moan as her walls tightened around his member. </p><p>“Harder,” Mermista growled into his ear. So much for slow and gentle. Her nails dug into his back as he picked up the pace, deepening his thrusts as he did. He pulled out nearly all the way and in a quick snap of his hips all the way back in, deep enough that there was pain with the pleasure, not trying to hide the fact that Mermista’s beautiful cries were going to push him over the edge soon. </p><p>But not before she did, he thought to himself as he dipped a hand between them. Mermista’s head pushed back into the pillow as she all but screamed, then tried to bury her face in Sea Hawk’s shoulder because, <em> shit </em> , the kitchen and Marcos’ room weren’t <em> that </em> far away. </p><p>Sometimes she thought Sea Hawk did this on purpose, like he got some sick sort of pleasure when she got this loud, announcing to the world what they were doing. Knowing she didn’t have time to be embarrassed as waves of heat came over her as he continued to ram into her with reckless abandon. </p><p>Sea Hawk tried to buy time, focusing on her neck and ear. “Minha,” he said as he pulled on her earlobe with his teeth. “Minha,” he pressed an open mouth kiss to her pulse point. “Minha,” his teeth grazed her collarbone. </p><p>“Ah-Sebastian—” Mermista trembled under him, nails digging painfully into his back as she dragged them down, her legs gripping him so tightly he couldn’t move anymore as she came, repeating his name. That was his undoing--it nearly always was--and he came inside of her, his forehead pressed to her shoulder as he cried out, emptying himself into her as deep as her body would allow. Mermista was still shaking, twitching underneath him as she rode out her own orgasm, and he briefly wished his own were half as long as hers seemed to be. </p><p>She deserved the world though, so he couldn’t deem it unfair.  </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. love like ritalin</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Marcos whistled to himself in the kitchen as he used a spatula to scrape eggs from the bottom of a frying pan. A sudden yelp came from down the hall, startling him, and the pan clattered against the stove. He sighed, realizing as soon as he did where the sound came from, and pulled out his phone to put on some music and give Mermista some privacy. </p><p>He knew his brother well enough that Sebastian didn’t care who heard him. </p><p>Marcos was honestly surprised that Mermista was still around. It had been what, a year now? Normally Sebastian’s hookups didn’t last long enough to go into relationship territory, let alone get as domestic as the two of them were. There were times when Mermista wouldn’t be around and Sebastian wouldn’t mention her for weeks, and Marcos was sure that he’d finally fucked up somehow and scared her off for good. </p><p>It wasn’t because he didn’t like Mermista, either. He and Tomás had discussed at length how good of an influence she had been on Sebastian. He’d toned down his recklessness, seemed happier, and wasn’t drinking… as much. Marcos hadn’t already forgotten the abandoned bottle of Jonnie Walker in the living room. Hadn’t they <em> just </em> been at a club for a birthday party? While Sebastian wasn’t one to hide his feelings, he almost kept the topic of Mermista at arm’s length, beating around the subject if she was brought up. Mermista did the same, almost seeming annoyed with him when they were together in public, but they couldn’t hide the way they looked at each other. </p><p>Tomás had bet his boat that Sebastian would marry Mermista some day. Marcos took that bet, he <em> knew </em> Sebastian would fuck up way before that happened. After living with his little brother for a few weeks though, he was starting to have second thoughts.</p><p>Sebastian had just gotten a DWI and Mermista had only been back in town for the school year a few weeks. She’d cut him off pretty quickly after that, and it was around that time Marcos had moved in with him. It wasn’t Sebastian’s first time getting a DWI, but because his BAC was below 0.08 when he was tested, his license stayed intact and he just had to pay a fine and take the classes. How he always managed to get off with a slap on the wrist was beyond Marcos’ comprehension, but he’d watched Sebastian charm himself out of most trouble since they were kids. </p><p>That charm was probably exactly how he managed to get back on Mermista’s good side, because she came back after a couple of weeks and it was like a weight lifted off of Sebastian’s shoulders. There were nights he didn’t drink to fall asleep, even on nights she wasn’t there, and he just seemed calmer overall. It reminded Marcos of Sebastian officially being diagnosed with ADHD when they were kids and put on medication--instead of constantly bouncing around, talking, constantly getting in trouble in class, unable to focus on anything, he could just relax and focus on what he needed to. Mermista was like Ritalin, and her absence seemed to unravel him. </p><p>Marcos loved cooking, and it kept him busy in the small hours of the morning when it was far too early to call his fiancee. She was living in Japan for four months, doing an internship at a big tech company, and the time difference made finding time to talk to each other difficult. It was already tomorrow in Japan, and she wouldn’t be up again until the late afternoon in Oregon. Nearly every Saturday he cooked way too much in the morning, grateful to have someone else to cook for. If there were leftovers, they’d bring them to the neighbors. </p><p>Sea Hawk entered the kitchen first, fully dressed and finger combing his hair back. “Bom dia, [Morning,]” he said, stifling a yawn. </p><p>“Bom dia,” Marcos replied, piling scrambled eggs on a plate. “Relaxa, eu guardei aquela sua bebida de ontem. [Don’t worry, I put away your drink from last night for you.]” </p><p>Sea Hawk furrowed his eyebrows for a moment, trying to recall the night before. “Oh, merda, obrigado, [Oh, shit, thank you,]” he said after a moment. </p><p>“Sem problemas, não iria querer que a Mermista descobrisse o quanto você tá bebendo, [Of course, wouldn’t want Mermista to find out how much you’re drinking,]” Marcos replied dryly.</p><p>Sea Hawk pressed his lips together, then nodded. “Right,” he said bitterly, pouring himself a cup of coffee. He reached for the Vanilla Crown Royal, his usual mix-in, then glanced over his shoulder at Marcos, who had his back to him. He topped off his drink and returned the bottle to its usual spot. He grabbed the carton of soymilk Marcos had on the counter and made a cup for Mermista before sitting at the counter in front of the buffet Marcos had set out. </p><p>“Obrigado por cozinhar, a Mermista ama e eu agradeço. [Thanks for cooking, Mermista always loves it and I appreciate it.]”  </p><p>“Claro, irmãozinho, eu ainda te amo. Só tô pensando quando você vai abrir o jogo. [Of course, little bro, I still love you. Just wondering when you’ll clean up your act.]” Marcos sipped at his own cup of coffee, then pushed a plate towards Sea Hawk. “Agora come, magrelo. [Now eat, you skinny bastard.]”</p><p>“Tá bem, [Yeah, yeah,]” Sea Hawk replied as he loaded up his plate.</p><p>“Morning,” Mermista said as she walked into the kitchen. “Oh, that smells and looks amazing, Marcos, thank you!” </p><p>“Good morning, meu bem!” Marcos said, throwing an arm around Mermista and pulling her in for a hug, kissing her temple. “It’s nothing, I’m glad to see you enjoying it.” </p><p>The first time one of Sea Hawk’s brothers grabbed her in for a hug and kissed her like that, she stiffened up awkwardly, wondering what the hell she’d walked into. But now she knew they were all just Like That in casual settings. She headed towards the coffee maker.</p><p>“I got you, gatinha,” Sea Hawk said, holding up a mug for her.</p><p>“Oh, thanks,” Mermista said as she walked over and slid onto the barstool next to him, dropping her backpack on the ground next to her and placing her foot on the footrest of his so he could put his hand on her thigh. She was wearing her tracksuit over her swimsuit and her hair was french braided so it would be easy to tuck into her swim cap later. </p><p>“I take it you have a competition later?” Marcos asked, leaning against the counter as he ate. There were plenty of places for him to sit, he just always said he preferred to stand.</p><p>“Yeah,” Mermista said as she loaded up her plate. “It’s in Portland, so we have a stupid long bus ride and we are staying overnight. But Lonnie and I made plans to see the city since we didn’t get to last year and it’s the only other time I’ve been.” </p><p>“You should let me know when your next competition is, I’d love to see it,” Marcos said as Mermista bit into a cheese pancake. </p><p>“Dude, these are so good,” she complimented him. “And I would, but you’d have to keep it a secret from this one,” she said, giving Sea Hawk the side eye, causing him to grin and laugh in response. “He’s not allowed at my competitions anymore.”</p><p>Marcos gave Sea Hawk a confused look. “I climbed over the fence and jumped into the pool to hug her when she won during the last one I went to,” Sea Hawk explained.</p><p>“It was the <em> only </em> one he’s been to.”</p><p>“And that is, apparently, not allowed and embarrassing.” </p><p>“Not to mention, could have gotten me <em> disqualified, </em>asshole.” Mermista elbowed him. </p><p>“And there’s that, too,” Sea Hawk laughed. </p><p>Marcos laughed, too, shaking his head. “Don’t worry, I can keep a secret.”</p><p>“You know, I <em> could </em> just check the schedule for weekends both you and Lonnie are off at the same time,” Sea Hawk warned Mermista.</p><p>“Sure, you could, but I already told the other bartenders they are forbidden to take your shifts on those weekends.”</p><p>“She’s smarter than you, Baz, that’s for sure,” Marcos teased.</p><p>“Of course she is, I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Sea Hawk said, wrapping an arm around her and kissing her cheek. She shoved him away. </p><p>“Get offa me.”</p><p>After breakfast, Mermista and Sea Hawk cleaned up the kitchen and washed the dishes while Marcos started working on the computer. </p><p>“Dad paying you overtime for that?” Sea Hawk asked as he finished loading the dishwasher. </p><p>“You know he isn’t,” Marcos said, not even looking up from his laptop. “I just don’t want more shit on my plate next week. The closer we get to the end of the year, the more work I’ve got to do.”</p><p>“What do you do for him?” Mermista asked, leaning onto the counter. Sea Hawk slid his hand across her butt as he passed by, and she swatted at him but missed. </p><p>“Bookkeeping, accounting, mostly. Baz did it when he was in high school but decided when he turned 18 he wasn’t working for free anymore. I also do all of the website and server maintenance and security upkeep since my actual area of expertise is software engineering,” Marcos explained.  </p><p>“Wait, isn’t Marinho Watercrafts worth, like, billions?” Mermista asked, looking at Sea Hawk. </p><p>“Yeah, which is why I definitely wasn’t working for free,” Sea Hawk said.</p><p>“No, dude. I mean, you could literally probably get a job bookkeeping, like, anywhere, with that kind of job experience.” </p><p>“He knows,” Marcos said at the same time Sea Hawk said, “I know.”</p><p>“I make more money doing what I do now,” Sea Hawk explained with a shrug. </p><p>Not wanting to get into that conversation again, about the risk vs. reward of Sea Hawk’s line of work, Mermista turned back to Marcos. “Is the security and maintenance stuff hard? I’ve been thinking of changing my major and going into cyber security, but I don’t really know that much about coding. I’ve looked into the field though, and it’s a lot of really cool stuff.” </p><p>“Wait, you’re thinking of dropping Marine Biology?” Sea Hawk asked. “You didn’t tell me that.” </p><p>“I haven’t been considering it for very long,” Mermista shrugged. “Just toying with the idea of it since I’m still at a good place to switch majors without wasting any time on major-specific classes. I don’t know if I really want to stay in school long enough to get my Master’s or a Doctorate, which is kind of what you have to do in that field. It’s a lot of money. And if I do, I’ll probably be going back to Florida and going to University of Central Florida or Miami since their Master’s programs are really good. It’s just a lot to consider.” </p><p>Marcos had Mermista come sit in the barstool next to him and started showing her some of the work he did on the server for maintenance, and some of the security features he had set up while Sea Hawk mulled over what she’d said. It was far off, but not that really, and he hadn’t considered what Mermista was planning on doing when she graduated. It made sense she’d go back to Florida, since that was where her family was.</p><p>She’d only been gone for three weeks over the summer, and that was plenty long enough to be missing her. He couldn’t imagine what years or… maybe even the rest of his life without her would be like. From the day they’d met, Mermista took hold of Sea Hawk in a way he had never imagined possible. She made him want to be a better person, because he knew that eventually she’d get tired of his shit and leave if he didn’t. Even when they’d fight, something that would cause him to fall into a downward, self destructive spiral with his past relationships, he just wanted to do whatever it took to make it up to her. After his DWI, Tomás took Sea Hawk aside after bringing him home and told him straight up that if he didn’t start taking his life seriously, the best thing that had ever happened to him was going to walk away without looking back, which was way more of a wakeup call than a night in jail had been. </p><p>He watched her, sitting at the end of the island, lips slightly parted as she listened to what Marcos was explaining to her. She caught him staring and her expression changed to a smile, for just a moment, before turning her attention back to the computer screen. </p><p>“It’s kind of boring and repetitive as work, but the fun part is trying to break down walls and hack into things,” Marcos explained. “I do that on the side sometimes for fun, and you can do competitions or companies will pay you to test their own security systems. It’s like a game, and such a rush to try and beat the clock.”</p><p>“It sounds really cool,” Mermista said, nodding, and sliding off of her chair. “I’m waiting to hear back about an internship at the aquarium here, and I think doing that will probably solidify if I want to stay where I’m at or switch things up. Thanks for taking the time to show me.”</p><p>“Any time. And if you do end up switching and need help, I’m your guy,” Marcos said. </p><p>“Thank you. I better get going, Coach Netossa likes everyone to be early so we can get on the road earlier and score better parking at the competition location.” </p><p>“Be safe,” Marcos said, wrapping her in a hug.</p><p>Mermista nodded, then grabbed her bag and threw it over her shoulder. </p><p>“I’ll walk you out,” Sea Hawk said. </p><p>Downstairs, Mermista threw her bag in the backseat of her car while Sea Hawk held the front door open. Sea Hawk wrapped her into a hug until she started to squirm out of his embrace, then gave her a quick kiss on the lips.</p><p>“Be safe, okay, gatinha?”</p><p>“Always am,” Mermista said as she slid into the seat. “You work Tuesday night, right?”</p><p>“I think so,” Sea Hawk said. </p><p>“Okay. I’ll see you then.” She turned on the ignition and Sea Hawk closed the door, watching as she pulled out of the driveway. She looked back--she almost always did--before driving off. </p><p>Tuesday was already way too far away. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. what would i do without you?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Mermista wrapped her wet hair in a towel and splashed water over the sides of the kitchen sink to wash the residual blue dye down the drain. She turned around to grab her phone from the opposite counter and gasped, smacking her hand to her chest as she stumbled backwards. </p><p>“Sea Hawk! Stop! Climbing! In! Through! The! Window!” she scolded, closing the space between them, smacking his leg with every word. His laughter filled the kitchen with smoke from the vape in his hand, the window still open behind him. </p><p>“If you really wanted me to stop, you’d get it fixed, gatinha,” he teased, sliding from where he sat on the counter and handing over the vape. “Wanna go do karaoke with me tonight?” </p><p>“You’re so annoying. Of course I want to,” Mermista groaned, taking a long hit from it without even considering it. Whatever he was smoking, it tasted sweet, like candy, with just a bit of cannabis aftertaste. Her shoulders dropped within seconds as it moved through her. It had been kind of a bad head day for her, which is why she was dying her hair in the first place--it was something mindless to do while also requiring some attention to detail. Dancing would be nice. “Just give me some time to get ready.” She looked him up and down--his usual leather jacket over a flannel button up, dark jeans, the ones with a tiny hole in the back pocket, and his beat up, all black Converse. “That what you’re wearing?” </p><p>He picked up the bag he’d thrown onto the counter before he climbed through the window. “I brought a few different options with me. Is Perfuma home?” </p><p>“Nah, she’s got class, like, all day on Wednesdays. Why?” </p><p>“I’ve just been watching you bent over the sink in those little booty shorts for like, five minutes or so, and I really want to see them on your bedroom floor right now.” He grinned. “And you always hold back when she’s here.”</p><p>Mermista felt a flush take over her face. Sea Hawk wasn’t afraid to say or ask for anything he wanted. It was fucking terrifying, and she wasn’t sure she’d ever really get over just how direct he could be. How could he just <em> do </em> that? Say exactly what he wanted, when he wanted to? Like yeah, he’d seen every inch of her, quite literally, but Mermista still had trouble telling him what she wanted. It felt confining, like walls were closing in on her, like trying to pull wad after wad of cotton from her throat. But he made it look so fucking easy. </p><p>“Unless you’re not in the mood?” </p><p>Mermista realized she’d just frozen in place, lost in her head. She blinked, shaking her head then reaching up to catch the towel she’d already forgotten had her hair wrapped up in it. She tried to pass it off as just casually rubbing her hair dry with it, untangling it and squeezing the moisture from her hair into it.</p><p>“No. I mean, yeah, that’s cool. Just gimme a sec to brush my hair.” She took another hit from the vape and didn’t look at him as she turned away, willing her face to stop feeling so hot. Maybe she could just pass it off as being turned on, or something. It had been over a year since they’d started hooking up and Sea Hawk still managed to light all of her nerves on fire with just a few words. He’d do it over the phone, so she knew it wasn’t just how stupidly attractive he was. </p><p>In the bathroom, she finished toweling off her hair and ran a comb and some product through it. She wavered between just blow-drying her hair there or leaving it up to chance, how long they’d take, deciding she didn’t want to test her luck and grabbing the hair dryer. Unfortunately, she’d learned, she couldn’t exclusively blame her frizzy hair on Florida’s oppressive humidity. Even in Oregon, it just didn’t want to cooperate when air-dried. </p><p>As soon as he heard the whine of the hairdryer, Sea Hawk removed his jacket and flannel so he was just in a t-shirt, kicked off his shoes, and laid back, getting comfortable on the bed. So it was going to be a while. He didn’t really care either way, he arrived early enough to give them plenty of time to mess around before getting ready and heading out for the night. </p><p>He was already springing this on Mermista, rushing her was a sure way to send her anxiety into overdrive and Sea Hawk really did try his best to avoid that. Mermista was cute when she was mad, even when it was focused at him, but it physically hurt him to see her anxious. She’d pick at her nail beds until they’d bleed, tug on her hair so roughly it would come out, and he’d noticed her rubbing her palms or nails on her thighs and find bruises there later. All the while, she’d insist she was fine, there was nothing to worry about. Sometimes he wondered if she even realized she was doing it. </p><p>That week without his phone, the times he’d miss a shift or two at work unannounced because he was recovering from a fight and didn’t want her to see him like that, crashing the Jeep right in front of her, the DWI. He glanced at the gun he’d set on her nightstand, taken from his waistband after he entered her bedroom. A few weeks ago she’d asked why he’d been packing so often lately, it seemed like he always had his gun on him these days. He’d play it off like it was nothing, but there had just been too many close calls lately. </p><p>He was working up to buying her her own handgun, taking her to the shooting range and teaching her how to use it. Just in case. </p><p>But he’d promised himself it wouldn’t get to that, it shouldn’t have to. Mermista wasn’t even old enough to get her concealed carry license, he’d remind himself. She needed him to keep her out of it, and he wanted to. She never asked about it, and he didn’t offer any information. That way, if the cops or the feds or the DEA came around, she couldn’t be held responsible for anything. She didn’t know anything. She’d pass a polygraph easily. </p><p>Even so, things got bad for a while over the summer, and he was pretty sure that he’d have to reluctantly end things with her altogether when she came back from Miami. As luck would have it, the leader of the gang that had it out for him was arrested just two weeks before he picked her up at the airport. He was still on trial now, but Sea Hawk hoped his luck would continue and he’d be put away for a while. </p><p>Lost in thought, Sea Hawk didn’t hear the hair dryer stop, or Mermista enter the room, but he definitely felt her when she threw a leg over him, straddling him on the bed in just her panties. Her hair was long enough now that it cascaded over her breasts, concealing her nipples with the soft oceanic waves as she bent over him. </p><p>“Did you fall asleep on me?” Mermista teased, moving an arm up his bicep. </p><p>“I must have,” Sea Hawk mused, sliding his hands up her sides and taking a breast in each one. “Because I’m looking at the woman of my dreams.” </p><p>“Oh, shut up,” Mermista said, squeezing his bicep and shaking her head with a grin. </p><p>“You gonna make me?” Sea Hawk raised an eyebrow at her, enjoying the way her skin flushed at his words, with his touch. </p><p>“I might,” Mermista said, leaning down to press her lips to his. He ran his tongue across her lips, and a thought came to her. “Actually, I do have an idea.” </p><p>“An idea?”</p><p>“To shut you up,” Mermista said, moving to take off his pants. He helped her, lifting his ass off the bed so she could slide them off of him, kicking them off at the end. He was already half-hard, but she ignored that, working on his shirt now and then quickly slipping her panties off. </p><p>“Do tell,” Sea Hawk said, leaning back into the pillows with a smirk, his arms folded behind his head now, exposing his chest and abs and ink-kissed skin. Mermista was sweeping her hair behind her ears, biting her lip, studying him, her eyes dragging over his chest, skin stretched over ribs and abs and that v-shape his hips made.</p><p>Sometimes it made her nervous, how skinny he was--she was pretty sure she could count his ribs right now--but she saw him eat. He ate a <em> lot </em>. He just never stopped moving, between work and going to the gym and taking her dancing and whatever he got into when they weren’t together. So this view of him, laying back, relaxed, still, was kind of nice. </p><p>Mermista was just wondering when he’d finally see through whatever was clouding his vision, get tired of her jiggly arms and thighs or the dimples on the back of them, the stretch marks on her hips and stomach and ass that she’d been graced with since she was fourteen, the fact that no amount of swimming seemed to tighten up her stomach. And her nose was too big and her cheeks too round, her hair was always frizzy no matter what she did. </p><p>Sea Hawk’s hand met hers on the side of her head, pulling her out of her thoughts. “You’re thinking too much,” he said simply, sitting up and taking her hands in his. “What’s going on?” </p><p>“N-nothing,” Mermista said, shaking her head. His hands were so warm. “I’m not thinking too much.”</p><p>He did that head tilt, his eyes looking her face up and down before settling on her lips. “I don’t believe you,” he said finally, then met her eyes. “But I’m gonna do what I can to change that. What was your idea?” </p><hr/><p>The bar was packed, even on a Wednesday night, when they arrived a few hours later. The sun had dipped below the buildings surrounding them but the sky was still streaked with pink and orange. Sea Hawk had switched the cartridge in the vape and whatever he had changed it to had Mermista totally relaxed and almost floaty now as they stood in line. Sea Hawk was going on about what duets they were going to sing, and Mermista was shaking her head at every single one of them.</p><p>“You know I don’t sing, I’m just here to watch you,” she said. </p><p>“But that’s no fun,” Sea Hawk said. “Besides, you never let me hear you sing.”</p><p>“That’s because I can’t sing,” Mermista replied. <em> Not as good as you, at least</em>, she thought.</p><p>“Karaoke isn’t about being able to <em> sing</em>,” Sea Hawk said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “It’s about having fun!” The guy in front of them looked over their shoulder at her and nodded. “See? He gets it.” </p><p>“Buy me a few drinks and we’ll see,” Mermista said. When Sea Hawk’s face lit up, she added: “Don’t get your hopes up.”</p><p>Karaoke didn’t start for another hour or so. Once they finished their first drinks, Sea Hawk dragged Mermista out onto the dance floor. She grumbled at first, but he always managed to get her into it after a while. He had this way of making her feel like it was just the two of them in the room, like everything fell away when he was whispering in her ear or picking her up to spin her around. Every time his fingers brushed against her bare skin under her shirt, she’d feel all tingly and warm. </p><p>At one point their faces got dangerously close and she broke one of their, well, her, rules and pressed her lips to his, moving her arms around his neck. He was smiling so her lips met his teeth, but he quickly moved into it, his arms finding the small of her back and pulling her closer. </p><p>When he went up on the stage, he dedicated Andy Grammer’s “Fine By Me” to “the stunning woman sitting at the end of the bar with the blue hair, isn’t she just gorgeous?” and Mermista covered her face with a groan and ordered another drink. </p><p>He didn’t manage to get Mermista up on stage, but his dedications got sappier and more ridiculous as the night went on. Sea Hawk seemed to put down two drinks to every one Mermista had, and she was thankful they decided to get a ride to the bar instead of driving, because neither of them was driving home tonight. He’s leaning on her, stumbling with his arm wrapped around her shoulders as they’re walking out of the bar. </p><p>“I think you might have overdone it a little tonight,” Mermista said, stating the obvious as she deposits him on a bench a block away from the entrance.</p><p>“Mmmaybe,” Sea Hawk drawls, leaning, rather, falling into her side as she sits next to him. </p><p>“Where’s your phone? I’m gonna order a ride home.” Sea Hawk slides it out of his pocket and puts it into her hand. His eyes are closed. “Wrong phone.” </p><p>A whine comes from somewhere deep in his chest as he pats himself down and grabs his iPhone from another pocket, trading it for the Samsung. Mermista grabs his hand and presses his thumb to the reader to unlock it, then again to pay for the car. After pressing the phone back into his hand, she opened the bottle of water she grabbed on the way out and put it to his lips. “Drink this, I don’t want you to get hungover,” she said. </p><p>Sea Hawk did as he was told, still coherent enough to tilt his head back as he drank and then grab the bottle from her at the halfway mark. He pressed a cold, wet kiss to her cheek as a thank you.</p><p>“Ew, gross!” Mermista laughed and shook her head as she playfully shoved him off of her, wiping her cheek and putting the cap back on the bottle before he spilled it all over the both of them. The car wouldn’t be there for a while, so she repositioned them so her back was to the wall of the little archway encasing the bench, and Sea Hawk was sitting between her legs with his back against her. She tucked her arms under his, wrapping them around his waist. </p><p>Sea Hawk sighed contentedly as he settled into her, propping one leg up on the bench next to hers and sliding down so he was half laying on her. He dropped the water bottle between his hips and the bench and reached up to hold her face in his hands, a little too aggressively in his drunken state. Mermista raised her eyebrows as she looked down at him, onyx eyes shining and a big, goofy grin on his face as he looked up at her. His hair was still sweaty from dancing, mussed as it fell over his forehead, sticking to it in some places. His cheeks and neck were red, from dancing or the alcohol, Mermista wasn’t sure. </p><p>“You are so, so pretty, Misty,” he said suddenly, and Mermista didn’t realize she was mirroring his expression until she went to roll her eyes. “I mean it,” he continued as he ran his thumbs over her jaw. “I’ve always thought you were the most beautiful woman, ever since the day we met. You have the most beautiful eyes.” </p><p>“You’re <em> so </em> drunk,” Mermista replied, amused, reaching up to take his hands off her face before he squeezed her head off. </p><p>“No!” He immediately sat up and turned to her, then <em> giggled.</em> “Well, I am, but that doesn’t change anything. I can’t believe how lucky I am to know you.” The hand that wasn’t holding him upright found its way to the side of her face, sliding down to her neck before he leaned in to press his lips against hers. Mermista felt her lips part, a sigh escaping into his mouth as she tasted the liquor on his lips, then he was gone, too soon. He was settling back into her, the side of his face buried in her chest, and she couldn’t help but laugh, moving her hand down to rub his back through his jacket. She felt vibrations against her chest, and thought he might have mumbled something. </p><p>“What was that?” </p><p>He shifted his head to the side, just a little, so the words were kind of muffled still. “I’m in love with you, Mermista.” </p><p>Mermista’s hand froze as her heart stopped. Her mind, however, went into overdrive. </p><p>
  <em> LOVE??? </em>
</p><p>No, no, no. He was drunk. He didn’t mean that. There was no way. How many drinks had he had? She couldn’t even remember to count them, but it was more than she’d ever seen him drink before, since usually he drove home. <em> He’d said it so easily. </em> It was just the liquor speaking. He didn’t mean it. He was just drunk. <em> He’d said her fucking name.</em> </p><p>She… she had to try again, there was no way he said that. She had to have misheard him. Didn’t he know? They’d agreed to keep everything casual. <em> He didn’t want that</em>. He’d <em> said </em> it. She didn’t want that either. They had an <em> agreement </em>.</p><p>(sure, that agreement also said that they could both sleep with anyone else at any time, and neither of them had even bothered, but <em> this </em> was not part of that agreement. but wasn’t it weird that out of all of their friends he always asked her to do stuff with him, and she hated to admit that he was always her first choice, too, when it came to going out or even just talking to when she was nervous or anxious and what the fuck why did he have to say <em> that)</em></p><p>“What?” she squeaked, softly, anxiously, feeling time stop as she waited for his answer. </p><p>A moment passed, and she forced herself to look down at him: long eyelashes casting a soft shadow across his cheek, pillowy lips parted slightly, and his shoulders lifting and dropping steadily. He was asleep. Just like that.</p><p>Mermista let out a breath, a relieved sigh she didn’t realize she was holding, then continued to rub circles on his back. She wasn’t sure how much time had passed, since it seemed to stand still for her. He became dead weight, and with that she felt his gun pressed between his hip and her thigh. She wondered how the hell he could fall asleep like that, with the hard metal pressed into him.</p><p>Sea Hawk’s phone vibrated a while later, announcing the impending arrival of their car and causing him to stir. He grumbled as he moved back, his expression equal parts confusion and affection as his eyes met Mermista’s, digging his phone back out of his pocket. He bowed his head and yawned into that hand, then looked at his phone. </p><p>His brows furrowed as he read the notification, then he looked up at her through his dumb long eyelashes. “When did I order a car?” </p><p>He definitely didn’t mean to say it.</p><p>“I did,” Mermista said with a smile. </p><p>“You are seriously <em> so </em>smart,” Sea Hawk said in awe, giving her a quick peck on the lips before getting up from the bench. “What would I do without you, gatinha?” </p><p>“Probably would have fallen asleep on this bench,” Mermista replied with a smirk as she grabbed the water bottle. “Here, finish this.” </p><p>Sea Hawk’s little power nap seemed to energize him, because he spent the entire ride back to his place chatting with the driver of the car. Mermista stared out the window, lost in her head, until the passing city lights began to make her feel dizzy and nauseous. She pulled out her phone, tried to distract herself with whatever her friends were up to tonight, but the car’s shocks were shitty and her phone shook too much in her hand so she just locked it and leaned her head back, closing her eyes. Sea Hawk’s hand found hers, intertwining their fingers before giving her a little squeeze. <em> I’m here </em>. She smiled, keeping her eyes closed, and rubbed circles on the back of his hand for the rest of the ride.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>please validate me with comments, they are the only thing i am able to eat</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. a friendly little visit</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>CW // gang violence, guns (no shots fired), vomiting</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>An unfamiliar car was sitting in the driveway, lights on, when they were dropped off at Sea Hawk’s townhouse. Sea Hawk cursed under his breath in Portuguese before the car even stopped. Mermista glanced at him, her eyebrows raised as he pulled his hand away from hers. He opened up his wallet and looked at Mermista, then back at the car, like he was contemplating something. </p><p>“What?” Mermista asked as he handed a bill to the driver. </p><p>“Can we sit here for a minute?” Sea Hawk asked. </p><p>“Sure thing, bud,” the driver said, holding up the hundred Sea Hawk had just handed him before folding it between his fingers. </p><p>“Mermista,” Sea Hawk said in a hushed voice, sounding completely sober now. “Take my keys and my phone. I’m gonna open your door for you. Go straight inside, lock the door, then go upstairs and lock yourself in the bedroom. Do not open the door for anyone but me. I’ll come in through the garage. No matter what happens, do not call the cops. If Marcos is up, stay with him.”</p><p>“What’s going on..?” Mermista asked as she took his keys. He took her face in his hands and kissed her softly. </p><p>“Nothing serious, it’s just better for you to stay out of it,” Sea Hawk said, his voice still hushed but completely serious as he got out of the car. He walked over to her side and opened the door. “I can explain when I come inside, okay, gatinha? I swear.” Mermista nodded, and they walked up the driveway together. The occupants of the car began to get out -- two rather large guys, one with a very defined scar running from his jaw to his nose on one cheek. </p><p>“Sea Hawk,” the one with the scar says. “Who do we have here?”</p><p>“No concern of yours,” Sea Hawk said, keeping himself between them as they approached the men. He nudged her arm. “Go inside.”</p><p>“Not so fast, girlie,” the other man said, blocking their path. He looked Mermista up and down, and she felt like her heart was going to beat out of her chest.</p><p>“She has nothing to do with this, Scurvy,” Sea Hawk said through gritted teeth at the man with the scar before stepping in front of Mermista. “Touch her and you’ll regret it,” he growled at the other man. </p><p>“Oh, come on, Sea Hawk,” Scurvy crooned, approaching them with a lazy gait. “We just wanna get to know your new friend. Not often we see you with one.” His partner stepped aside as Scurvy took his place right in front of Sea Hawk. He had several inches and probably a hundred pounds on Sea Hawk, but that didn’t stop Sea Hawk from pressing the barrel of his gun right to his throat. </p><p>“Touch her, and you’ll regret it,” Sea Hawk repeated. Mermista swallowed, hard. </p><p>Scurvy chuckled, then put his hands up. “Alright, alright, no need to get your panties in a bunch. How about this. Give the girl your gun and I’ll let her go. We’re just talking tonight, anyways.” </p><p>“Go stand by your car, then.” When they did as he instructed, walking backwards, Sea Hawk lowered the Beretta and clicked the safety back on, then pulled out the chamber and put it in his pocket. He held the gun flat in his palm as he handed it to Mermista. Her hands shook as she took it. </p><p>“Safety’s on, it’s not loaded, just put it on the nightstand,” Sea Hawk instructed. “I’ll be right up.” He kept his eyes on the men, and Mermista rushed to the door without looking back. She closed and locked the door behind her, her heart threatening to jump out of her throat, then ran up the stairs two at a time. </p><p>“Let’s get this over with,” Sea Hawk said as soon as he heard the door shut. His stomach was churning, too much drink and not enough food to soak it up with. He crossed his arms over his chest. “What’s going on?” </p><p>“One of your boys keeps stepping into our territory.” </p><p>“So you show up at my house at 2am? That’s not how this is supposed to go.” </p><p>“Calling you hasn’t been working,” Scurvy scoffed. “Doesn’t seem to be teaching you anything. Sutler sent us over for a friendly little visit, beat it into your head.” </p><p>“Which one is it?” Sea Hawk asked, as if he didn’t already know.</p><p>“The redhead. Long hair. Talks like he thinks he’s smart.” </p><p>“Falcon,” Sea Hawk said under his breath, dropping his arms to his sides. “What do you want, then? I’ve talked to him about it. He doesn’t fucking listen. You know what? I’ll take him out of the game.”</p><p>“That’s a start,” Scurvy said. “You wouldn’t mind us taking him? You know he’s gonna run straight to us.” </p><p>Sea Hawk knew what Sutler did to people who didn’t listen to him. Sure, Falcon had been a bit of a prick ever since Sea Hawk had stopped hooking up with him once he started selling, and he never fucking listened, but Sea Hawk didn’t want that for him. “What if I said no?” </p><p>“Want a taste?” Scurvy smirked. </p><p>Instead of going to the bedroom, Mermista ran into the dining room and crouched down next to the window, cracking the blinds just enough to see what was going on in the driveway. For a moment they were just talking, Sea Hawk with his arms crossed over his chest, talking with the guy he called Scurvy for a few moments, then dropped his arms and kept talking.</p><p>Suddenly, the guy whose name she didn’t know stepped forward and threw a punch aimed right at Sea Hawk’s face. Sea Hawk ducked in time, sweeping a long leg around and knocking down the guy, but Scurvy punched him right in the stomach, knocking him to his knees. Mermista slapped a hand over her mouth so she didn’t scream, feeling her eyes water as she watched Sea Hawk clutch his stomach, but immediately try to get back up.</p><p>Fingers wrapped around Mermista’s arm and she yelped as she swung her head around, but it was only Marcos.</p><p>“Sorry, sorry--what’s going on?” He whispered. </p><p>“Someone--two people are here and they jumped Sebastian,” Mermista choked out. Marcos cracked the blinds and peered out of them, then pulled Mermista to her feet. </p><p>“Come on,” he said. “You don’t need to watch this.”</p><p>“We need to help him!” Mermista cried.</p><p>Marcos shook his head. “I know this sounds harsh, Mermista, but Sebastian knows what he’s gotten himself into.” He nodded at the gun Mermista still had clutched in her hand. “They made him give that to you?” Mermista nodded. “They’re not going to hurt him too badly. Scurvy went to high school with us. They used to be friends. Best thing we can do for Baz right now is have some ice and first aid ready for him when he gets up here.”</p><p>Scurvy’s partner yanked Sea Hawk back onto the concrete by his shoulder, and finished the same way he started--slamming his fist into Sea Hawk’s cheek. Scurvy stood over them, grinning at Sea Hawk as he felt blood drip down his cheek.</p><p>“So what’s your answer?” </p><p>“Fine,” Sea Hawk spat, feeling his stomach start to turn over as he tasted blood in his mouth. Why the fuck did he drink so much? There was no way he would have let that just happen if he were sober. Scurvy and his friend had a size advantage, sure, but Sea Hawk had always been faster. He grabbed the wrist of the unnamed guy and shoved his arm away, only for Scurvy to kick him in the ribs. He couldn’t stop himself from throwing up this time, emptying the mostly-liquid contents of his stomach onto the driveway. “Caralho! Chega!” He shouted. “I gave you what you want. Now get the fuck out of my driveway.” </p><p>“How soon should we expect him?” Scurvy asked. </p><p>“I don’t fucking know. I’ll talk to him Friday.” </p><p>“He picking up?”</p><p>“As if I’d let you know when I get my drops,” Sea Hawk spat, clutching his stomach.</p><p>“Shame,” Scurvy said. “I’m sure I’ll be seeing you soon.” He nodded at his partner and they both got in the car, pulling out of the driveway. </p><p>Sea Hawk sat in the driveway for a second, catching his breath. When he finally stood up, his stomach turned again, but he was able to make it to the grass before he started vomiting. </p><p>Upstairs, Mermista had been pacing nervously in the kitchen, her arms wrapped around herself and nails digging into her forearms. Marcos gave her half a white pill from his bedroom and a cup of water. “Don’t worry, it’s just a Xanax,” he said when she questioned him. “It’ll calm your nerves, stop you from panicking.” </p><p>Mermista vaguely remembered her dad giving her the same thing when she was having anxiety before their first visit to India. She was in middle school then, and it was her first time on a plane ever and the idea of being suspended in the air over the ocean for nearly an entire day was terrifying to her. This was way worse, because Sea Hawk was hurt and she couldn’t fucking help him. </p><p>“Okay, okay, okay,” Mermista repeated after she took it.</p><p>“What did you do today?” Marcos asked. How could he be so calm?</p><p>“What?” Mermista asked. Right now? Who cared what she did today? </p><p>“Tell me what you did today,” Marcos said. “Start from this morning.” </p><p>“I, um, I had class. Perfuma, my roommate, and I stopped to get coffee and breakfast with her girlfriend, Scorpia, before.”</p><p>“Where did you go?” </p><p>“Um, I don’t remember the name,” Mermista said after a moment. “It’s on First and Broadway.”</p><p>“That’s okay, what class did you have first?” </p><p>Sea Hawk was pretty sure Scurvy had cracked a rib with that kick, because every movement was agonizing as he doubled over and dry heaved. After he was pretty sure there was nothing left in his stomach to throw up, Sea Hawk made his way to the garage. He typed in the garage code and contemplated whether or not to wash his face downstairs and take a painkiller before he faced Marcos and Mermista, then realized there was no way he was going to be able to move the washer to get to his stash in his current state. </p><p>He stepped inside and hit the button to close the garage before opening the side door to the entryway and heading up the stairs. He heard Marcos and Mermista talking quietly in the kitchen, pausing for a moment at the top of them, only to smile when he realized Marcos was using his grounding techniques on Mermista. A chuckle snuck up on him and he groaned as it sent a sharp jolt of pain up his left side. </p><p>“Sea Hawk?”</p><p>“Hey, gracinha,” he said sheepishly. </p><p>Mermista rushed over to him, her face crumpled. She reached out to him, but pulled back, not really sure where he was hurt. It fucking killed him to see her like this, especially when it was because of him. “You’re bleeding.”</p><p>“Yeah.” She grabbed his hand and led him over to the counter where Marcos already had stuff laid out for him. </p><p>“Sit down,” Mermista instructed.</p><p>“Você apanhou por causa da sua ex de novo? [Did you get your shit rocked because of your ex again?]” Marcos asked as he handed Mermista some wet paper towels. He grabbed a bag of frozen peas already wrapped in a towel and held it out to him, smirking now that Mermista had his back to him. </p><p>It wasn’t the first time Marcos found Sea Hawk like this, and he doubted it would be the last. Of course it wasn’t funny, and back in high school Marcos and Tomàs would have kicked anyone’s ass for looking at him the wrong way. </p><p>The thing was, this wasn’t high school, and Sea Hawk knew what he was getting into when he stayed in the game. And he’d made it clear he did not want, no, could not allow, his brothers to fight for him anymore. So they would just be there to pick up the pieces without getting dirt on their own hands. </p><p>“Vai se foder, [Fuck off,]” Sea Hawk said, taking the bag from him and sliding it under his shirt, wincing as he held it to his tender ribs. Mermista gently began to wipe away the blood on his cheek. </p><p>“You’re going to have one hell of a black eye,” Mermista commented, gently running her thumb across his cheekbone under the split skin.</p><p>“Você realmente fica lindo de delineador, [You always looked good in black eyeliner,]" Marcos goaded him.</p><p>“Seja útil e me dê uns analgésicos, [Make yourself useful and get me some painkillers,]” Sea Hawk replied. </p><p>“I can’t imagine this cut will need stitches, it’s not bleeding anymore. Maybe a butterfly bandage or two...” she trailed off at the end, mostly talking herself through it. </p><p>Sea Hawk placed his arm on her shoulder and said, “Thank you, Mermista. I’m so sorry.”</p><p>Mermista’s eyes flickered over him, then she went on to remove the paper from the bandaid, not looking at him. “I don’t know why you’re sorry, you’re the one bleeding right now.” She smirked for half a second. “At least it’s not on my kitchen floor this time.” Her tone wasn’t playful, or even the deadpan he was accustomed to. She sounded almost robotic. </p><p>Sea Hawk tried to lighten the mood. “Reminds you of the first time we met, huh?”</p><p>Mermista frowned as she administered the bandaids, using two to make sure the split skin was secured. “Sure. Difference is, back then I was scared of you. Now I’m scared for you.” She jerked her shoulder back so his hand fell off, then started to unbutton his shirt, then pulled it off with his jacket off for him. </p><p>Under normal circumstances, he’d make a joke about her undressing him, but right now didn’t really call for it. He switched hands holding the ice as he shrugged it off his left side, wincing. Marcos pushed a glass of water and a bottle of Vicodin with Sea Hawk’s name on it, leftover from the last time he was in the hospital, towards him. </p><p>“I meant like, ibuprofen,” Sea Hawk said as Mermista folded his jacket and placed it on the counter. </p><p>“Take it and thank me in the morning, bitch boy,” Marcos responded. </p><p>Mermista snorted behind him. “Let me see what’s going on under here,” she said, pulling at the hem of his t-shirt. The ice was just a starting to feel nice. </p><p>“It’s fine,” Sea Hawk said as he took two of the Vicodin and drank the water, flinching as he swallowed. </p><p>“Doesn’t look fine,” Mermista said, crossing her arms. </p><p>“It’s just bruised,” Sea Hawk said. </p><p>“Lift your arms above your head, then,” Marcos chimed in.</p><p>“You stay out of this,” Sea Hawk spat, bringing a laugh from Marcos.</p><p>“I’m just trying to help,” Mermista said, followed up by a yawn. </p><p>“I think you should go to bed, gatinha.” When she shook her head, he sighed, sliding the ice pack off and moving his arm out of the way with a hiss. Mermista lifted up his shirt and gasped at the sight of all of the broken capillaries spider webbing around a deep purple bruise the size of a boot. Marcos hissed in the background. </p><p>“Damn,” was all he said. Mermista had tears in her eyes. </p><p>“What can I do?” She asked, her voice breaking. </p><p>“Help me take my t-shirt off so I can shower, then go to bed,” Sea Hawk said, moving the ice pack back. “There’s nothing any of us can do. Just gotta let it heal.” </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Please leave a comment if you’re enjoying it so far! Even if it’s just you yelling at me! I crave validation!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. too much</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Um, let me know if you need help, okay?” Mermista said after helping Sea Hawk take off his shirt. She couldn’t keep her eyes off of the bruise, which was still darkening. </p><p>“I got it,” Sea Hawk assured her. “Unfortunately, not the first time I’ve cracked a rib before.” </p><p>“Oh.”</p><p>“Hey, you okay?” Sea Hawk placed a hand under Mermista’s chin, lifting her face.</p><p>“No, Marcos gave me a Xanax and I’m pretty sure I’m about to pass out,” Mermista admitted. </p><p>A laugh bubbled up in Sea Hawk and he groaned, trying not to double over as he squeezed his left arm to his side. “Caralho,” he hissed, eyes watering as he looked up at the ceiling. </p><p>Mermista’s face crumpled and she stepped back. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. </p><p>“S’cool, don’t be,” Sea Hawk said. </p><p>“I’m serious though, call me if you need help,” Mermista said as she walked over to the bed and grabbed a pillow, then headed to the door.</p><p>“Where are you going?” Sea Hawk asked.</p><p>“Couch. I don’t wanna accidentally roll over and hurt you.”</p><p>“No, gatinha,” Sea Hawk said. “Just sleep on the right side. I’ll be fine. Trust me, I’m not that fragile.” </p><p>Mermista shifted her weight from one leg to the other, chewing on her lip. She’d showered first, changing into a big t-shirt and sleep shorts.  </p><p>“Please?”</p><p>“Okay,” she agreed, climbing into the bed. As soon as her head hit the pillow, she was out. </p><p>Sea Hawk turned on the shower and leaned against the wall as he emptied his pockets. He dropped the bullets and the cartridge on the counter and tossed his wallet next to them, he’d deal with those later. Mermista put his regular phone on the charger, but he still had the Samsung. </p><p>2:54am <b>Sea Hawk</b>: $</p><p>2:56am <b>Bill</b>: Yea. </p><p>2:56am <b>Sea Hawk</b>: Can you and Rog do bball Friday?</p><p>2:57am <b>Bill</b>: K. Send him over with deetz.</p><p>After a truly agonizing shower, Sea Hawk got dressed and tried to get into bed as quietly and painlessly as possible. Once Mermista began to sleep over regularly, he got more pillows for his bed--they both liked to nest and Mermista liked to curl up around one--which was extremely helpful tonight as he piled up a few then tucked one under his arm. The combination of the alcohol and the Xanax was doing its work on Mermista--she didn’t even stir. Sea Hawk was feeling the painkillers start to work on him, too, so he quickly grabbed his phone and sent a text to Rogelio before he forgot.</p><p>3:23am<b> Sea Hawk</b>: Sorry it’s so early. Can you come over tomorrow? I want to discuss the game Friday. </p><p>8:32am<b> Rogelio</b>: Sure. Be there around 2. </p><hr/><p>Sea Hawk woke up to Mermista on her knees at his bedside, trying to very carefully slip a new bag of frozen vegetables between his ribs and the pillow. </p><p>She apologized when his eyes fluttered open and he groaned softly. “Sorry, sorry! I was hoping maybe this would numb the pain before you woke up but... I got you some water and more painkillers if you need them.” </p><p>“Gracinha, obrigado,” Sea Hawk mumbled when she handed him the open bottle of painkillers. He set it on the blanket and took out one before popping it into his mouth. Mermista held out the glass of water for him and he drank it while she put the cap back on the bottle of pills. </p><p>“I’d ask how you’re feeling, but I imagine it’s pretty shitty,” Mermista said as she took the glass back from him. She set it on the table then propped her head up on the mattress with her arm. </p><p>“I feel like somebody snapped me in half,” Sea Hawk said, closing his eyes. “You’re amazing, you know that?” </p><p>“Duh,” Mermista said. “You hungry or you going back to sleep?”</p><p>After a few seconds, Sea Hawk mumbled, “Sleep.” He didn’t open his eyes again. </p><p>Marcos worked during the day, so Mermista called into work and got her shift for the day and Sea Hawk’s for the next two weeks covered. She spent most of the day on the internet researching what he should be doing to heal and manage the pain. She switched out bags of frozen vegetables between loads of laundry and made a few things that he could just heat up in the microwave when he was hungry. </p><p>He was here, and he was just fine, sleeping in the other room, but she found herself pacing the living room and anxious when she had nothing else to do. She’d bitten her nails down to nothing and chewed on her bottom lip until it had bruised. </p><p>Was this what it was going to be like, knowing Sea Hawk? </p><p>Not to mention what he’d said last night when they’d left the club, that he was in--</p><p>Mermista shook her head. She couldn’t think about that right now. It was just way, way too much.</p><p>Mermista tried to distract herself with schoolwork, but the text seemed to float off the page and her brain felt like absolute mush. She must have fallen asleep on the couch at some point, because she woke up to the sound of something crashing to the ground. She sat up abruptly in time to see Sea Hawk throw his head back with a string of frustrated curses in the kitchen. She was at his side in seconds. </p><p>“What do you need?” She asked, already crouching down to pick up the stuff he’d managed to knock out of the freezer when he went to put the latest bag of half-frozen vegetables back in. </p><p>“Nothing, nothing, I’m fine,” Sea Hawk sighed as he closed the door when she finished putting it back. He was still shirtless and Mermista frowned at the sight of the bruise which had bloomed under his pec and spread downwards, too. “I’m fine,” he repeated when he saw her face. </p><p>“You’re not fine, though,” Mermista said, her voice a little shaky.</p><p>“I am, though, thanks to you,” Sea Hawk said with a smile. He kept his left bicep pinned to his side, but he caressed her waist with his right hand.</p><p>“Should you be up?” Mermista asked. “I read that the best way to manage the pain for now is to rest.” </p><p>Stars, she was so worried about him. Sea Hawk felt a confusing mixture of anger at himself and affection for this beautiful girl standing in front of him, amber eyes wide with concern. </p><p>“Mermista, you don’t have to do that,” he started to say, but was interrupted by the sound the dryer made when it had completed its cycle. His face softened. “You did laundry?” </p><p>“I wanted to help,” Mermista said, her cheeks warming. “You had some, and I wanted something to do, and--”</p><p>Sea Hawk stopped her rambling with a kiss. He’d brushed his teeth just before coming out here, and his soft, warm lips tasted like mint. His left hand held onto her waist as his right hand moved up to the nape of her neck, and Mermista found her back pressed to the fridge as she kissed him back. She was afraid to do anything with her hands that might hurt him, so she placed them on his hips, which he eagerly pressed into her for just a moment before jerking back. </p><p>Mermista was dazed when he pulled back, one hand still twisted into her hair. He took in her beautiful eyes, swollen lips and flushed cheeks, and suddenly the words he’d said last night came back, hitting him with the force of a train. </p><p>
  <em> I’m in love with you, Mermista. </em>
</p><p>No, no, no, he hadn’t <em> said </em> that. He was just thinking about it.</p><p>Right?</p><p>Sure, he’d been thinking the same thing for probably months now. He’d wake up in the morning to a face full of blue hair and that was the first thing that would come to mind as he pulled her even closer. On slow nights at work, she’d be leaning against the bar talking about school or their friends or literally anything, and he’d just suddenly be filled with warmth and the overwhelming feeling of it. Late nights would find them on the road, windows down and the radio up, and she’d be smiling and singing along with him and he couldn’t stop himself from thinking it. </p><p>He remembered the first time he thought it. They were sitting on her bed, eating chinese takeout. She’d just come back from Miami a few days before and they’d been arguing about the specific outcome of the psychological thriller they’d just finished. Mermista had been punctuating her words with aggressive pointing of her chopsticks, then she stopped suddenly. “You have to try this,” she’d said, grabbing a piece of chicken from her takeout container with the chopsticks and holding it out to him. He’d leaned towards her to take the bite and she kept leading it away from him until he was close enough for her to take his chin with her other hand and kiss him. </p><p>He pulled back, surprised, and her satisfied smirk was what did it for him. If she hadn’t put the chicken to his lips just then, he might have just blurted it out. </p><p>“I should go get the laundry,” Mermista said. “So it doesn’t wrinkle.” </p><p>“You’re too much,” Sea Hawk said appreciatively.</p><p>“Usually that’s you, so I guess that’s okay,” Mermista teased. </p><p>The doorbell rang as Mermista stepped back into the kitchen with the laundry basket on her hip. “Were you expecting someone?” </p><p>“Oh, yeah, Rogelio,” Sea Hawk said. He was still standing in the kitchen and headed towards the stairs as Mermista set down the laundry basket, but she stopped him.</p><p>“I got it, I can’t imagine walking up and down stairs is good for you right now,” she said. “And if you touch that laundry basket I’ll kick your ass,” she added. </p><p>“Yes ma’am,” Sea Hawk said. </p><p>Rogelio seemed surprised to see Mermista answer the door. </p><p>“That bad, huh?” He asked as he followed her inside, closing the door behind him. </p><p>“I guess that depends on what you’ve seen before,” Mermista said. “Did he ask you to come look at his ribs?”</p><p>Rogelio paused for a second, then said: “No, he wanted to talk business.”</p><p>“Oh…” Mermista said as she led him up the stairs. “Can you, anyways? I know you’re studying nursing.”</p><p>“Of course I can.”</p><p>“Thanks, dude. I’m just… worried is all.”</p><p>Rogelio cringed when he saw Sea Hawk. “You look like shit, man.” </p><p>“Thanks, I feel like shit,” Sea Hawk replied. </p><p>“Scurvy?” </p><p>“Yup.” </p><p>“I’m gonna take care of this,” Mermista said, grabbing the laundry basket. </p><p>“Thank you so much, gatinha, you’re amazing,” Sea Hawk replied. </p><p>“So what happened?” Rogelio asked quietly as Sea Hawk led him to the living room so they could sit down. He propped a pillow under his arm and used it to support himself, then went over everything that happened.</p><p>“That’s so fucked up,” Rogelio said when he finished. “So what are you gonna do? Or what did you need me for?”</p><p>“I’m not going to retaliate, if that’s what you’re asking,” Sea Hawk said. “I just need you and Bill to do the drop with me Friday because there’s no way I can do it with just one other person.” </p><p>“So you’re really going to stop working with Falcon?”</p><p>“I don’t know what else I can do. I can’t keep up with this back and forth with him. I told him straight up if he wanted to start selling we couldn’t be involved anymore. Then he acted surprised when he found out I wasn’t kidding, and it’s like he’s been out to get me ever since. I’m fucking tired of it.” Sea Hawk sighed. “And I can’t let it get that close to home. Mermista was here last night when they came, and I don’t think I could live with myself if she got hurt because of me.” He shook his head, getting frustrated just thinking about it.</p><p>Rogelio nodded. “I don’t blame you. For what it’s worth, I think you’re doing the right thing. Mermista’s really good for you. We gotta protect what’s ours.” </p><p>“The thing is, they said they want Falcon.”</p><p>“Shit.” </p><p>“And I don’t really get it. They already know he does whatever he wants to and doesn’t listen to me, so why do they think they’ll be any different for him?”</p><p>“The three of you ran the same circles in high school, didn’t you?” Rogelio asked thoughtfully. “I mean, Scurvy knows that you two used to hook up. Maybe he thinks he's different because he can keep it in his pants.” </p><p>Sea Hawk scoffed. </p><p>“What? You think I’m wrong?”</p><p>“No,” Sea Hawk said after a moment.</p><p>“Let me take a look at your ribs,” Rogelio said, changing the subject. Sea Hawk shifted on the couch so he had better access to them, and Rogelio kneeled on the ground next to him to get a better look. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. nothing personal</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sea Hawk asked Falcon to meet him for lunch Friday afternoon.</p><p>“What happened to you?” Falcon asked as he slid into the booth, looking over Sea Hawk’s bruised face. Sea Hawk took a sip from his coffee as he studied his old friend. He was looking a little rougher than usual himself, his face scruffy and his hair pulled back into a low bun. </p><p>“Our friend Scurvy paid me a visit a few nights ago, wanting to talk about you,” Sea Hawk began. Falcon’s eyes widened, and Rogelio slid into the booth next to Falcon, blocking him in. </p><p>“Why’s Rogelio here?” Falcon asked nervously. </p><p>“Don’t worry, he’s just here in case you decide to take off. Thanks to you, I’ve got a couple of broken ribs that would make chasing after you kind of difficult, and you need to hear everything I’ve got to say,” Sea Hawk said. “So here’s the deal. I’m not working with you anymore.” </p><p>“What? Why the fuck not?” Falcon demanded. </p><p>Rogelio rolled his eyes. </p><p>“Well for starters, you never listen, Falcon,” Sea Hawk said. “And I’m starting to wonder if you even <em> think </em>, dude. Ignoring my orders is one thing, but you know damn well where Sutler’s boys sell and you just can’t stay away.” </p><p>“We don’t even sell the same stuff,” Falcon argued.</p><p>“Do you think he cares?” Sea Hawk asked. He pulled up his shirt, and Falcon winced at the sight of his bruised skin. “He fucking doesn’t.”</p><p>“Okay, well, one of his men broke my wrist last year because of you,” Falcon retorted. </p><p>“Was it because of me? Or was it because I didn’t let them kick my ass because I was, once again, settling a score of yours? I’m sick of picking up after you, Falcon. Kids who sold for me in high school had a better sense of responsibility than you do.” </p><p>“And you act like it’s my fault, but you’re the one who dried out everyone else’s supply and pissed them off.” </p><p>“That’s not even what this is about, and you know that, Falcon. Why would they even bring you up if supply was a problem? Like you said, we don’t even sell the same stuff.”</p><p>“Stop saying my name like that,” Falcon glowered. “Like I’m some fucking stranger.” </p><p>“Get used to it, because you’re not my problem anymore.” </p><p>“Sea Hawk, come on, man.” </p><p>“I’ve given you enough chances to take things seriously. I can’t afford to keep you around anymore. It’s nothing personal. It’s just business, it always has been.” </p><p>“What about--”</p><p>“Nothing you say is going to change my mind.” Sea Hawk set a bill down on the table to cover his coffee before he got up, doing his best to hide his grimace as pain shot through his torso. “I’m genuinely sorry it has to be this way, but I can’t deal with you anymore. Don’t make this harder on yourself, and don’t contact me again.” </p><p>In the passenger seat of Rogelio’s car, Sea Hawk pressed his forehead to the window glass and sighed. “Thanks for coming with me,” he said after a few moments. </p><p>“Any time, I’ve got your back,” Rogelio said. </p><hr/><p>Mermista found out she got into the internship she applied for at the aquarium on her birthday. She was in class when the call came so she missed it, but it was followed by an email that told her everything. </p><p>“Someone looks chipper,” Catra said as she joined Mermista on the picnic table she’d claimed in the courtyard. </p><p>“Got into my internship,” Mermista replied in her usual monotone. </p><p>“Oh yeah? That’s neat. No more waitressing, then?” Catra asked. </p><p>“For now, it’s only a six month long internship.”</p><p>“Didn’t you mention the position could become permanent, though?”</p><p>“Yeah, if they like me. And if I like it enough. I’ve been thinking about changing my major, but I don’t know.” </p><p>“Yeah? Glimmer’s changed hers like fifty times already, and now she’s thinking of dropping out,” Catra chuckled. </p><p>Mermista waved her hand. “Yeah, but she’s been saying that since I’ve met her. Her mom would kill her.” </p><p>Catra nodded, then laid back across the table, stretching out with a yawn. “You’re not wrong there. I wonder who’s gonna crack first though, you or Seagull.”</p><p>“Huh?” Mermista asked, cocking an eyebrow at the brunette. </p><p>“You know, not seeing each other every day,” Catra said, throwing her arm over her face to block the sun from her eyes. “I’m sure you’re both going to go crazy.”</p><p>“We don’t see each other <em> every </em>day,” Mermista scoffed. </p><p>“Oh yeah? Did you see him yesterday?”</p><p>“Yeah, but—“</p><p>“And last weekend? Whose bed did you sleep in?” </p><p>“Catra—“</p><p>“And where are you going tonight?”</p><p>“His ribs are broken,” Mermista explained. “He kind of needs me.” </p><p>“Ooh,” Catra cringed. “How’d he manage that? And when?”</p><p>“Fight,” Mermista said, looking away. “Like a week ago.”</p><p>“How’d the other guy make out?”</p><p>“I didn’t see,” Mermista lied.</p><p>“Whatever. I’m sure he doesn’t <em> need </em>you. He’s a grown ass adult. You’re really gonna spend your birthday playing nurse when you could be out drinking?”</p><p>Mermista shrugged. “I don’t like celebrating my own birthday,” she said. She didn’t add that she thought it wouldn’t be any fun without Sea Hawk. </p><p>“Mood,” Catra said. “At least you’re gonna get laid, though.” </p><p>“Ugh, not even,” Mermista groaned. “He can’t do anything that will make him breathe too hard or move too much because it’s so painful for him. Sex is totally out of the question right now. I’m dryer than a fucking desert.” </p><p>Catra snickered. “How much longer are you gonna be able to put up with that?” </p><p>“I dunno, he said it would probably be okay in a week or two.”</p><p>“So we should be seeing raging bitch Mermista come out in another week or so, huh?” </p><p>“What? I’m not that bad!”</p><p>Catra moved her arm to cock an eyebrow at her. “Bro. You’re so fucking mean when you haven’t gotten laid in a while.” Mermista rolled her eyes. “For real, dude. It’s not a pretty picture. The last time you and Sea Hawk got into a fight, you made Bow cry over a game of Uno. I don’t see why you don’t just make things official, you’re already basically attached at the hip.”</p><p>“It’s not like that with us,” Mermista argued as she grabbed her bag. “We’re just friends who happen to enjoy fucking one another.”</p><p>“Uh-huh. And going on dates, and having sleepovers, and, what’s that about you being his plus one at his brother’s wedding in a few months?”</p><p>“How did you find out about that?”</p><p>“Marcos hired me to DJ the wedding. We were visiting the venue to check everything out and he and Sea Weed were talking about it.”</p><p>Mermista threw her bag over her shoulder and got up. “I gotta go, my next class has a quiz I wanna study for.” </p><p>“Alright, don’t make any children cry on the way there!” Catra called after her, laughing at her own joke. </p><hr/><p>Mermista couldn’t wait to tell Sea Hawk her news, but her last class seemed to drag by. Then she had an afternoon swim practice, then traffic to sit in. By the time she got to his town house, she was completely and utterly exhausted. </p><p>Marcos wasn’t home yet, and Mermista found herself wishing they could take advantage of the privacy. Sea Hawk was sitting on the couch, propped up as usual with a cushion while he played some first person shooter video game. Mermista flopped down on the couch with just enough force to show how tired she was, but not careless enough to jostle him. </p><p>“Long day?” Sea Hawk asked, ruffling her hair for a second before returning his hand to the controller. </p><p>“Mmmmhmm,” Mermista said. </p><p>“So should I just keep pretending it’s not your birthday, or?” He was teasing her, she knew that much. He woke her up before her alarm to sing her happy birthday, and had breakfast and coffee delivered to her apartment that morning. </p><p>“Yes,” she responded, repositioning herself so her head was resting on his thigh and she was on her back. She smiled as she watched his jaw work while he focused on whatever it was that he was trying to achieve in this game. His black eye was almost completely healed, a thin line on his cheek and just a bit of the yellow bruise were all that was left of it. “You feeling better today?” </p><p>Sea Hawk nodded. “Yeah, I could run a marathon.” </p><p>Mermista laughed. “Don’t get too ahead of yourself.” </p><p>Sea Hawk wrapped up whatever he was doing and turned off the game, focusing his full attention on her. “And how is my birthday girl?” He asked as he caressed the side of her face with one hand. </p><p>“Tired,” Mermista admitted. “In need of cuddles. Maybe a nap.” </p><p>“I think I can swing that even in my current state,” Sea Hawk said with a smile.</p><p>They got up and headed to the bedroom, where Mermista changed into one of his t-shirts to match his bedtime attire. He was finally able to lay on his back without wanting to die, and she was happy to snuggle up to his right side and pulled the blanket over them. </p><p>In all honesty, this was exactly what she wanted for her birthday. Just comfort and relaxation with her favorite person. He smelled so good, a mixture of his cologne and laundry detergent and weed. </p><p>“I gotta breathe deeply every hour or so so I don’t get pneumonia, Nurse Rogelio’s orders,” was Sea Hawk’s cocky response when Mermista asked him if he should even be smoking right now when breathing was hard enough. “Plus it helps with the pain.” </p><p>“Hey, hey, I did get some good news today,” Mermista said. “I got accepted into the internship at the aquarium.” </p><p>“I knew you would, gatinha, you’re amazing,” Sea Hawk said, squeezing her to him. “So, I guess that means no more SeaWorthy.” He didn’t even try to hide the disappointment in his voice with that statement.</p><p>“Yeah, I’m gonna put in my two weeks this weekend.” </p><p>“Damn, so you’ll be out before I even go back,” Sea Hawk said. He took a whole month off to let his ribs heal—he could afford to, and the last time he’d broken a rib it took forever to heal because he wasn’t as cautious. “I’m gonna miss seeing this ass at work,” he grinned as he reached down to squeeze her ass, causing her to squirm and laugh.</p><p>“It’s only temporary. If they don’t want to keep me full time I’ll be back next fall. Unless I get sick of your face and decide to go somewhere else.”</p><p>“How could you get sick of this face?!” Sea Hawk complained, giving her puppy dog eyes. Mermista playfully shoved him away. </p><p>“Easier than you might think!” </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. the fire had gone out</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Name changed from I Like (the Idea of) You to Hit and Run because I like the 3 word titles theme :3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>A few weeks passed, and Mermista had settled into a new routine with the aquarium and school. The weather got cooler, and she was spending a lot more time at home studying as finals approached rapidly. She was leaving the aquarium after her shift when her phone rang, an unfamiliar number blinking on the screen. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She almost didn’t answer it, but curiosity got the best of her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hello?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A robotic voice answered: “You are receiving a collect call from Salineas County Detention Center. To accept this call and all associated charges, press 3.” The fuck? Mermista pressed 3. “Call accepted. Thank you for using Pay-by-Tel Services.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mermista, hey, gracinha.” Sea Hawk was using a voice he only used when he wanted something and wasn’t sure what Mermista’s answer would be, syrupy sweet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s going on?” Mermista asked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, a lot of stuff, but can I ask you for a favor? Can you come bail me out of jail?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A weight settled on Mermista’s shoulders, pulling them down. “Yeah, I guess,” she said before even realizing what she had agreed to. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re a goddess among women,” Sea Hawk said, way too cheerfully. “I owe you one, Mermista. Do you remember—”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh-huh. See you soon.” Mermista ended the call, reminiscing on the times when flip phones were a thing, because pressing a button wasn’t nearly as satisfying a reflection of her current mood as slamming her phone shut would have been. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She sighed as she unlocked her car, not sure if she was shaking because of the cold or out of frustration as she slid into the seat. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She went to the county’s website, pulled up the arrest records and calculated the amount of bail she’d need. </span>
</p><p>
  <b>Sebastian H. Marinho</b>
  <span> | </span>
  <b>DOB</b>
  <span>: 08/04/1996 |</span>
  <b> Age</b>
  <span>: 24</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <b>Sex</b>
  <span>: M | </span>
  <b>Race</b>
  <span>: W | </span>
  <b>Height</b>
  <span>: 6’2 | </span>
  <b>Weight</b>
  <span>: 195</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Moving Traffic Violation</b>
  <span> - Unlawful Speed (70/45) 1 Count</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <b>DUI</b>
  <span> - Unlawful BAC (Operating Motor Vehicle Under the Influence of Drugs or Alcohol) 1 Count</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Another </span>
  <em>
    <span>fucking</span>
  </em>
  <span> DUI,” Mermista hissed to herself, closing her eyes as she sank into the seat, defeated.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When would he learn?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Would he ever?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looked tired in his mugshot, and Mermista grew more irritated the longer she looked at it—with a plain background it could have been a headshot for a modeling agency. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She shook it off as she shoved her key into the ignition, then searched for the address of the county jail. It auto filled from the last time she had to take a trip there, back in August when he had a slightly less severe DWI, and she rolled her eyes as the irritation came back with more force.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t like Sea Hawk was the reason she knew how to bail someone out of jail—she had her father to thank for that. She didn’t know who did it for him before she turned 18, but she had already bailed him out for petty charges four times before she moved to Oregon, and another time last summer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was one of the reasons she wanted to leave Florida. “And look where you ended up,” she said to herself bitterly as she drove, first to Sea Hawk’s house since she didn’t have six grand to her name. While she was there, she grabbed anything that was hers and important. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The whole process took about two hours once she arrived to the jail, and Mermista sat impatiently in the car while they processed his release. He strutted out the side door and Mermista watched, growing more irritated by the second as he strolled towards her car leisurely, without a care in the world. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, gracinha,” he said as he slid into the passenger seat, leaning over to plant a kiss on her cheek, then pulling his phone out of the plastic bag that held his stuff and turning it on. “You’re a lifesaver. I’m gonna wire you the money right now.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry about it, I didn’t have it so I used your cash from the safe,” Mermista said in a flat tone as she put the car in reverse and began to back out of the parking space. “Do we need to go get your car out of impound or?” She was trying to be as efficient as possible so she could get this day over with. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nah, I’ll have Marcos come get it later. They suspended my license for 90 days,” Sea Hawk said, almost cheerfully. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was almost all Mermista could do not to laugh sarcastically, but she just clenched her jaw, glaring at the road as he began to rattle off details from the night before, how his friend Bill ended up inviting him over for drinks after work and the shenanigans they had gotten into following. Mermista barely listened as her ears seemed to be filled with the sound of waves crashing as her blood boiled. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sea Hawk’s hand absentmindedly found her thigh as he spoke, squeezing it as he continued to talk. Mermista took hold of it and shoved it back to him without even looking away from the road. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re mad at me,” Sea Hawk said, and he almost sounded amused. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Noooo,” Mermista drawled sarcastically. “What gave you that idea?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry,” he offered, trying to place his hand back on her thigh in what he hoped was a comforting gesture. “I fucked up.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mermista slammed on the brakes of the car and yanked it over to the shoulder, swatting his hand away as the car behind her blared its horn. She inhaled deeply through her nose, then exhaled through her mouth. “I can’t do this anymore.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Sea Hawk asked, his voice suddenly small.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m done.” Mermista sniffled, hot, angry tears beginning to form in the corners of her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mermista—“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stop. Just stop, please. I don’t want to hear it, Sea Hawk.” She couldn’t look at him. “How fucking often are you driving while wasted if you’re getting two DUIs in less than four months?” She didn’t pause for an answer. “What are you gonna do if you end up hurting someone? What if you hurt yourself? How do you think I—” she choked, “How do you think Jack and Sandy would feel?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s not gonna—“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can’t possibly </span>
  <em>
    <span>know</span>
  </em>
  <span> that!” Mermista hissed. “You can’t—you don’t fucking care about how your actions affect other people. And I can’t… I can’t do this anymore.” She wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her sweater, still focusing her attention forward as cars passed by them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sea Hawk just stared at her, his mouth open in shock. They’d had similar conversations before, ending in slammed doors or Mermista driving away, but back then she was angry. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Right now, it was like the fire had gone out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I—”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Get out of my car.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mermista—”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean it, Sea Hawk. And don’t—don’t call me.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. changes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Two chapters today! Make sure you read the last one, first, or this one won't make any sense.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Mermista gave herself two weeks of being sad before she started to say yes to nearly every social outing that was offered to her, welcoming the distraction. She’d never had to worry about running into Sea Hawk with her other friends, it was kind of just assumed if she was going, there was an 80% chance he was going to be there, too. </p><p>Bow was the first person to say something when he didn’t show up to far too many events to be normal. </p><p>“He’s been busy,” Mermista replied dryly with a glare that dared Bow to push the issue further. </p><p>Finals were a welcome distraction, and Mermista picked up any extra shifts she could just so she never had to be alone with her thoughts. </p><p>She tried to convince herself that losing a fuckbuddy wasn’t that bad, that Sea Hawk was replaceable, but she couldn’t lie to herself about the kind of relationship they really had. It was so much more than that, and they both knew it. </p><p>But what was she supposed to do? Wait until he pushed it too far? Until he wrapped his fucking motorcycle around a tree? Until his luck inevitably ran out and he ended up doing hard time?</p><p>She knew it was dangerous getting into it, and now she was dealing with the consequences.</p><p>Going home for winter break was just another reminder that she’d made the right choice. She took an uber home from the airport because her dad said he might work too late the night before to come get her, but he hadn’t even made it home by the time she arrived just after sunrise. She let herself into the manufactured home, only to find that her dad had hardly bothered to clean up after himself for a while. The kitchen was nearly empty, too, and she sighed as she made a mental note to start a list of groceries and other essentials he’d need so she could drag his ass down to Costco and take him shopping. </p><p>Her bedroom was more or less how she left it back in July, but she needed to dust and change her sheets. She got to work doing that, throwing her dad’s sheets in too because who even <em> knew </em> how long it’d been since he’d washed them. He had a load of clean laundry sitting wrinkled in the dryer, so she kept herself busy putting those away. </p><p>It had always been like that, Mermista taking care of the house and the things her dad couldn’t be bothered to. When she was far too young to, her aunt -- his sister -- would come over once a week to make sure she had clean clothes and there was food in the pantry that she could make herself. She taught Mermista how to cook, the quickest and most efficient ways to keep a house clean, and overall was a wonderful mother figure to her. She moved back to India when Mermista was twelve, but Mermista had learned enough from her by then and if she needed anything else, well, the internet was there. </p><p>She had just finished mopping the kitchen and was putting away dry dishes when her dad stumbled through the door. He was sweaty and dirty from work, but his smile was huge as soon as he saw her. </p><p>“Mimi! My beautiful daughter!” He said as he pulled her into a tight hug. His beard was longer than it had been in the summer, and more gray hairs were starting to turn up. He didn’t take any better care of himself than he did his house. </p><p>“Hey dad, I missed you,” Mermista said when he finally pulled back. It was the truth, too. Her dad, despite all of his flaws, was always there for her when she needed him to be. He always had what she needed, be it cash for a school event or good advice or words of comfort. He wasn’t always physically there--he’d missed plenty of her events at school, forgotten her at friend’s houses far too many times, and spent way too many school nights off doing whatever, but he was her dad, and he <em> did </em> love her. He worked hard to keep the roof over their heads, to make sure she had everything she needed, to put her through college as a single parent. </p><p>He drank and played just as hard, but it never really bothered her. </p><p>Mermista chewed on her lip, considering that maybe that’s why she had been willing to allow Sea Hawk to get away with as much as he did, for as long as he had. </p><p>How cliche of her, to fall for someone who was just like her own father. </p><p>“I was going to make butter chicken for dinner, if you didn’t eat already.” She made a quick trip down to the nearest grocery store for ingredients for dinner and breakfast, given that there was not a single non-condiment in the fridge that hadn’t expired. </p><p>“That sounds wonderful, my Mimi! Oh, how I’ve missed your cooking. Takeout and fast food get so tiring.”</p><p>“You could cook for yourself,” Mermista scolded him, but he just laughed. </p><p>“It just makes your cooking so much better when you get home, my love! I don’t know why I let you go to school so far from home, I miss you every day.” </p><p>“You miss fresh laundry and home cooked meals,” Mermista laughed.</p><p>“That’s not true! I miss my Rummy partner, too!” </p><p>“Dad,” Mermista said and shook her head with a smile before wrinkling her nose. “Go take a shower, you smell like a gas station.” </p><p>“Of course, my daughter. I cannot wait to hear about the last semester over dinner!”</p><p>After his shower he settled in front of the TV until Mermista called him to dinner. She knew that most days he just ate in front of the TV, and she wasn’t going to lie and say she didn’t do the same if she was the only one home in Salineas. But if there was one thing that was fairly consistent with her dad, they sat down to dinner like this two or three times a week, and she missed that.</p><p>She set a bowl in front of him with a fresh beer before sitting down to her own dinner. He was already digging in.</p><p>“Absolutely delicious, Mimi,” he said between bites. “Are you treating your Perfuma to this every night up north?” </p><p>“Not really, she’s vegan, so a lot of the time we cook separate things or just do, like, vegetable curry or salads or whatever we have. We order in a lot, too,” she admitted. </p><p>“She’s missing out. Tell me, love, how is school?” </p><p>Mermista was happy to go over the last semester for him, skipping over anything about Sea Hawk, who she had never brought up to her dad at all. Despite not really calling him much, he seemed to remember every single friend she mentioned.</p><p>“Ah, yes, Glimmer, she’s the one with the governor for a mom?” </p><p>“Adora, she plays that game, what is it… Lacrosse?” </p><p>“Bow, he’s the… the drag racer!” </p><p>You could say a lot about Mermista’s dad, but he did have an excellent memory when it came to her. She really was the center of his world, when he was present in it. </p><hr/><p>Dragging him down to Costco was an event, because he hated shopping, then couldn’t find his Costco card, then, “Mimi, I work six days a week, please, my daughter, I’d like to rest.” She managed to get him to go the Sunday before she went back to Salineas. He pushed the cart while she went down the list of items she’d composed over the past week, hopefully grabbing enough of the non-perishables that would last him until she came home for the summer. </p><p>“I can’t believe my only daughter doesn’t want to spend Spring Break with her only father,” he tried to guilt trip her as he followed her down the aisles. </p><p>“I have a swimming competition the day after I’d have to fly back, Dad. I’d be exhausted! And there’s no point in spending that much on plane tickets just to come home for four days,” Mermista explained, probably for the fourth time. Florida had managed to not be literal hell on earth the entire time she had been there, but it did warm up for that last weekend. She was wearing shorts and a tank top with her hair in a ponytail, just trying to beat the heat a little. </p><p>Her dad grumbled a little behind her, but got distracted trying to put things in the cart that he didn’t need. </p><p>“Really, dad? You can’t have dairy.” Mermista glared at him as she took the ice cream treats he’d snuck in back to the freezer aisle. </p><p>“Mermista! Is that you?” </p><p>Mermista spun around on her heels. </p><p>“Cam,” she said softly. “Hey. What are you doing in town?” </p><p>“I transferred back to UM last semester,” the blonde said as he approached her, pulling her into a tight hug. “My grandma’s been sick, so my mom needs more help around the house since she’s taking care of her.” </p><p>“I’m sorry,” Mermista replied. </p><p>“Yeah, it sucks, but what can you do? You look amazing, as always,” he said, changing the subject. “Oregon must be doing good for you.” </p><p>“Yeah, I guess,” Mermista said. She didn’t want to admit it, but Cam looked good too -- his hair was cut shorter than it had been back in high school, and he’d put on a bit of weight in a way that suited him, broadening his shoulders and rounding out his muscles.</p><p>“What are you doing here?”</p><p>“My dad needs help. With like, his life, you know how it is.” </p><p>Cam chuckled. “Old man’s still a mess, huh?”</p><p>Mermista laughed. “You know it.” </p><p>“How much longer are you in town? I’d love to catch up.” </p><p>Mermista shifted her weight from one foot to the other, weighing the options. On one hand, she and Cam had been friends more or less before they dated. Maybe he’d grown up a little. He sure looked more grown up, held himself a little higher. </p><p>They say the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else, right? </p><p>Her attention was pulled away by the sound of her dad calling her name from the next aisle. </p><p>“I should go help him before he gets lost. I, uh, I leave early Tuesday morning. My number’s still the same.” </p><p>“Cool, I’ll text you later, then.” Cam gave her that boyish smile of his that used to melt her heart, and she was almost surprised to find that it didn’t do anything for her now. </p><p>“You’re killing your old man, Mimi,” her father said when he looked over the receipt. </p><p>“Don’t worry, Dad, you’re not gonna have to go shopping for at least a month. And that’s just gonna be for like, food, then.”</p><p>“That’s good, because I’m broke now!”</p><p>“Well, good excuse to eat at home, then, instead of going to the bar.” Mermista took the cart from him and brought it to the cart return as he started up his big, old truck. The engine stuttered a few times before it turned over. “What’s wrong with it?” Mermista asked as she climbed into the passenger seat, reaching for the seatbelt. </p><p>“Ahh, nothing big. I just haven’t had a chance to put her up on risers so I can check her out and replace the plugs and wires.” </p><p>“Okay…” Mermista said. “You didn’t let it get flooded during the last hurricane, did you?” The last thing he needed was a big expense like a new truck. It was… one of the reasons why she never told him when her car broke down. </p><p>“Mimi, please, I’m not that irresponsible,” he said, fiddling with the radio as they waited for a pedestrian to clear their path. He stopped at some country station, and Mermista rolled down her window. Sometimes, when the heat got dry in January, it wasn’t too bad, she thought. </p><p></p><blockquote>
  <p>7:43p <b>Unknown Number</b>: Hey, it’s Cam. Still down to hang out?</p>
  <p>7:59p <b>Mermista</b>: Sure, when?</p>
  <p>7:59p <b>Cam</b>: Now? Couple buddies of mine are having a New Year’s Party. </p>
  <p>7:59p <b>Mermista</b>: New Years was like, a week ago, but okay. Where?</p>
  <p>7:59p <b>Cam</b>: I’ll come pick you up in 40?</p>
  <p>7:59p <b>Mermista</b>: Cool. </p>
</blockquote><p>Mermista didn’t really know why she was putting so much effort into getting dressed. She didn’t leave a <em> lot </em> of options home for herself, and didn’t pack many options, either. Not like she needed to dress to impress for her dad, and the vast majority of people she saw when she came home were either busy, not <em> that </em>special, or didn’t come home this year. </p><p>Cam whistled as she walked down the steps from her house in her dress and boots. He was still driving that vintage Mustang her dad always mentioned when they dated in high school, and right now he was leaning against the hood of it, wearing a UM Baseball shirt with jeans and chucks. </p><p>Mermista rolled her eyes. “Knock it off.” </p><p>He opened the door for her and closed it when she slid down into the seat. The car smelled like Abercrombie and Fitch cologne, stale weed and old beer, just like it did back in high school. Some people really never did change. </p><p>“Anyone I know at this party?” Mermista asked as he pulled out of the driveway. </p><p>“Nah, just some kids I go to school with. They’re all chill, though.” </p><p>“Oh, cool.” </p><p>The party was much smaller than Mermista expected. It was in Kendall, a bit of a drive from Hialeah, but Cam talked most of the time while Mermista watched the familiar landscape warp into something new. </p><p>“You know what I mean?” </p><p>“Huh?” Mermista asked eloquently. </p><p>“I just, I was such a dumbass back in school. I was super shitty to you when we broke up.”</p><p>“Oh, right. Yeah, you kind of were. But it’s whatever. I got over it.” </p><p>“You shouldn’t have had to, though. I dated a girl my freshman year, her name was Emilia, and she really showed me everything I was doing wrong with you. And sometimes I wish we could have a second chance, so I could make things right.” </p><p>“What happened to Emilia?” Mermista asked, trying to avoid that subject altogether. </p><p>“She’s still at UF, we broke up when I moved back home. I didn’t really think I could handle long-distance while trying to take care of everything that was going on down here, too.” He pulled up to a house, parking half in the grass and half on the road. There were maybe a dozen other cars parked similarly, and the neighborhood was quiet. </p><p>“That’s valid. This isn’t that big of a party,” Mermista commented. </p><p>“Yeah, well, it’s more of a bonfire plus beer pong. City really cracks down on the ragers this time of year, and we aren’t trying to get anyone arrested. Come on, let me introduce you to everybody.” </p><p>There were maybe two dozen people there, in different states of drunk and stoned. There was a bonfire, and people were roasting s’mores and hotdogs over it while others played beer pong, or just sat around and talked while the aux cable to the speaker system was passed around. A big black lab and a golden retriever roamed the yard, begging for scraps and pets. It was pretty cozy, Mermista had to admit, and not unlike the parties they had in Salineas, though none of her friends had yards suitable for bonfires. Maybe Sea Hawk did, but he didn’t really have parties himself. He just always had an invitation to one. </p><p>Mermista shook her head. She didn’t want to think about Sea Hawk, not now, not tonight. They got drinks, Cam introduced her to a few people, she wasn’t going to act like she remembered their names, before pulling her over to an empty spot on a couch with just enough room for the both of them, but the fit was a little tight. </p><p>“Here, put your legs on mine,” Cam said, easily adjusting the way she was sitting. It was definitely more comfortable, but Mermista wasn’t stupid enough to not catch onto the game he was playing when he rested his hand on her thigh. </p><p>Whatever, it wasn’t like she was still into him. It wasn’t like she was going to see any of these people tomorrow, or ever again. She could relax and have fun. </p><p>Cam refilled her drink twice before she said no more—<em>someone </em> had to be sober enough to drive them home--and he respected that but drank a few more himself. A blunt was passed around and Mermista happily accepted that. She felt really good, at ease and floaty, and the people here thought she was funny when she chimed into the conversation they were having. At some point more people arrived, and Cam pulled her into his lap completely to make room for them. </p><p>“This okay?” He asked, his words just a little slurred. </p><p>“Yeah, not like I’ve never sat in your lap before,” Mermista replied with a shrug. He rested his chin on her shoulder, his warm breath puffing against her neck, causing her to shiver. </p><p>“Cold?” He asked, wrapping his arms around her waist before she could even respond. Whatever. She leaned back into his embrace. </p><p>She ended up driving them home around three am, because it took her that long to feel like she was capable of driving. Cam actually fell asleep on the drive, which was surprising to her--when they were in high school, he wouldn’t dare let anyone else drive his car, so for him to just fall asleep while she did was unexpected. </p><p>He definitely wasn’t driving anywhere, even once they got back to her house, so she dragged him up the stairs and dumped him on the couch with a glass of water and some tylenol before she got ready to sleep in her own bed. </p><p>She walked from the bathroom to her bedroom wrapped in just a towel, jumping when she found Cam sitting on her bed with his dick out. </p><p>“What are you doing?” She asked, closing the door behind her quickly in case her dad woke up and wandered by. </p><p>“Let’s have sex,” Cam said, not quite sober but with enough clarity that he wasn’t really drunk anymore, either. “I’ve really missed you. You looked amazing tonight, and it felt so good to hold you earlier.”</p><p>“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Mermista said, leaning back against the door, holding the towel tighter around her. Cam’s short temper hadn’t come out at all tonight, but she was bracing herself for it now.</p><p>Cam nodded. “There’s someone else, isn’t there?” He sounded… really sad, but he stood up and started to readjust his pants.</p><p>“No,” Mermista said immediately. “I’m just… I don’t feel the same, and I’m not interested in sleeping with you.” She watched Cam’s throat flex as he swallowed, his jaw move as he considered what she was saying. </p><p>“Okay.” </p><p>“Okay?”</p><p>“I get it.”</p><p>“Oh, okay, cool.” </p><p>“Thanks for giving me another chance, though, Mermista.” Was that what he thought this was? Was… that what it was? Mermista wondered if her decision would have been different if she’d had a few more drinks, or less time to sober up and clear her head. He crossed the room, closing the distance between them. </p><p>“Whoever he, whoever <em> they </em>are,” he corrected himself, “well, they’re really lucky.” He took hold of the door handle and Mermista moved out of the way. “Where’d you put my car keys?” </p><p>“Park your ass on the couch, or give me a minute and you can sleep on the floor, you’re not driving home tonight,” Mermista said. </p><p>“Always with the caring about the safety of others,” Cam groaned, but he was still smiling. “If the floor’s a genuine offer… I’m kind of scared of your dad?”</p><p>Mermista snorted. “Okay. Give me a sec to get dressed, and I’ll get some blankets and stuff for you.”</p><p>Maybe sometimes... Maybe some people could change. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. missed</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>13 missed calls.</p><p>6 voicemails.</p><p>46 text messages left on read.</p><p>2 weeks until her scent no longer lingered on his sheets, and two more for him to completely empty his liquor cabinet. </p><p>Marcos grabbed him by the collar and yanked him off of the couch, where he’d passed out, face down, the night before. His ribs had mostly healed by then, so his groan came from the migraine his hangover had gifted him. </p><p>“ô porra,” he groaned, rubbing the side of his head as he pushed himself up from the floor. “Qual é seu problema? [What’s your problem?]” </p><p>“Levanta e para de choramingar, cara. Você quer ela de volta? Seja a mudança que ela quer. [Get up and stop moping around, dude. You want her back? You need to be the change she wants.]”</p><p>“Eu tô tentando, [I’m trying,]” Sea Hawk said, sitting up on the floor and leaning on the couch. </p><p>“ Não tá não, [No, you’re not,]” Marcos said. </p><p>“Vai se foder, [Fuck you,]” Sea Hawk spat. </p><p>“Nah, você não é meu tipo, magrelo, [Nah, you’re not my type, skinny bastard,]” Marcos quipped. “Você precisa levantar e ir encontrar seu agente da condicional. [You need to get up and go meet your parole officer.]” </p><p>“Porra, me mata, [Fucking kill me,]” Sea Hawk groaned.</p><hr/><p>“Dress shopping? For a high school dance? I’m good.” </p><p>“Pleeeeeeeaaaaaaaaase, Mermista,” Glimmer begged over the phone. “My mom’s making me take Frosta because she’s working and Bow and Adora are busy and I <em> really </em> don’t wanna go alone!”</p><p>“Isn’t it too early for prom dress shopping?”</p><p>“It’s not a prom, it’s, like, a Spring Fling, or whatever. I don’t really know, nor do I care. She just needs a dress. I’ll buy you lunch!”</p><p>“You’re not going to stop bothering me until I agree, are you?” </p><p>“Nope!” </p><p>Mermista shut her laptop. “Ugh, fine. Come pick me up though. And I wanna go to the bookstore, the new Mer-mysteries book is out.”</p><p>“Okay! Be there in thirty!” </p><p>Mermista had met Frosta a few times, once at Glimmer’s birthday party and another time when she was brought along to a tailgate when Glimmer’s mom dropped her on her unexpectedly. She was thirteen, and she was fine, Mermista supposed. A little too eager to act like a grown-up. She was feisty, and kind of funny--mostly because she annoyed the absolute shit out of Glimmer. </p><p>Mermista was making an effort to put rejects back on hangers when an attendant of the overly luxurious fitting room came and took them from her without a word. The price tags on some of the dresses were more than Mermista’s rent. </p><p>“I’m gonna see if I can grab a few more options, I’m sure none of these will be “perfect” either,” Glimmer said, rolling her eyes. </p><p>“I heard that!” Frosta called through the fitting room door before opening it. She was wearing a kind of ridiculous looking deep red gown, floor length on most people, but Frosta was swimming in it at her height. “Stop getting floor-lengths and maybe I’d find one that fits!”</p><p>“My mom saaaiiiiid she’d KILL me if you came home with something short!” Glimmer argued. </p><p>Mermista sighed as they bickered back and forth for a moment, glancing around the store. It was somewhat busy, but not over crowded, with small groups of people not unlike theirs.</p><p>Glimmer stormed out of the fitting room and asked Mermista to keep an eye on her. </p><p>“Hey, Mermista? Can you help me with the zipper?” Frosta asked helplessly a few moments later. </p><p>“Yeah, sure, come here.” </p><p>“—I managed to find a couple of the ones you showed me, yeah, we’re going to try them on now. Yeah, I’ll send pictures.” </p><p>No way this was happening right now. </p><p>“Hey!” Frosta yelled as Mermista yanked her into the fitting room and locked the door behind them. </p><p>“<em> SHUSH </em>,” Mermista hissed, clamping her hand over Frosta’s mouth, using the other to frantically text Glimmer. </p><p></p><blockquote>
  <p>2:32p <strong>Mermista</strong>: SOS Sea Hawk is here please do not tell him I’m here </p>
</blockquote><p>“Oh, hey, Sea Hawk,” Glimmer said outside the door a few moments later. </p><p>“Glimmer, hi,” Sea Hawk greeted the pink-haired girl sheepishly. “What are you doing here?”</p><p>“My little cousin, Frosta has a dance coming up soon, so we’re helping her pick out a dress. What about you? No offense, I don’t really think those dresses are your size or style.” </p><p>Sea Hawk chuckled, shifting the dresses he was holding for Sandy to another arm as she followed him into the fitting room holding one dress herself. “My brother Marcos is getting married, and Sandy’s the flower girl. So I was tasked with helping her pick out a dress.” </p><p>“Hi! I like your hair!” Sandy said, looking up at Glimmer from where she stood behind her brother’s leg, clutching onto it. </p><p>“Thanks!” Glimmer said brightly, and watched as Sea Hawk helped her into a fitting room, hanging up the dresses for her to try on before showing her how to lock and unlock the door. He told her to let him know if she needed any help. </p><p>“Gross, you little punk! Did you really just lick me!?” Mermista’s voice came in a hissed whisper from the next dressing room as something hit the door with a bang, and Glimmer tried to hide it by loudly asking, “So~! Sea Hawk! How have you been? How’s work?” </p><p>“Just taking things day by day, I guess,” Sea Hawk said with an awkward chuckle. “And work’s been work. Season’s slowing down a bit but once the weather warms up and people start traveling more, I’m sure it’ll pick back up. How’s school? Still studying, ah,” he snapped his fingers like he was trying to summon the thought. “Political Science, right?”</p><p>“Good memory!” Glimmer grinned. “Yeah, it’s soooooo boring. But my mom wants me to study it at least for undergrad, then I can do pre-law for my Master’s, or whatever.”</p><p>Sea Hawk nodded. “That’s some pretty intense stuff.” </p><p>“Uh huh! Um! Bow really misses you, you should call him sometime.” </p><p>“Okay, I will.” Sandy opened the door to her fitting room and stepped out in a frilly pink dress. “Aww, Sandy, that looks beautiful,” Sea Hawk admired as she did a little spin for him. “What do you think?” </p><p>“It’s flowy and pink!” Sandy said, and Mermista felt her heart melting at their interaction. Frosta was growing more and more impatient by the second. </p><p>“Come on, I wanna go to a different store!” She hissed. </p><p>“Do you want to try on any of the others?” Sea Hawk asked Sandy. </p><p>“Yes, please!” </p><p>“First, let me take a picture of you in this one for your mom, okay?” </p><p>“Okay! Let me see it!” </p><p>“Such a sweet kid,” Glimmer commented when she locked herself back in the fitting room. </p><p>“Yeah, she’s a little sweetheart,” Sea Hawk agreed, raising his eyebrows at the sound of another bang from the dressing room. “Is your cousin alright in there, or?”</p><p>“Frosta, you good?”</p><p>“No! I want to go somewhere else!” </p><p>Glimmer rolled her eyes. “Kids, right? Get changed, then, and we can go!” </p><p>“I’m not a kid!” Frosta called. “And I can’t change with—“ the next few words were muffled. Glimmer started talking about Bow, loudly. </p><p>“Come on, kid, I’ll look the other way, it’s not like you’ve got anything I don’t,” Mermista pleaded.</p><p>“What’s the problem anyways!?” Frosta whispered back. </p><p>“I just don’t want to talk to him or see him right now,” Mermista said quietly as she turned around. “Please just do this for me and I’ll… I don’t really know what to bribe you with,” she admitted. </p><p>“Will you do my hair for the dance?” Frosta asked.</p><p>“Sure, whatever,” Mermista sighed and turned her back to Frosta. </p><p>“Wait, can you get my zipper now?” </p><p>Sandy ended up needing Sea Hawk’s help with the next dress, so while he was distracted Mermista slipped out of the dressing room and into the main store. </p><p>“Bye, Sea Hawk!” Glimmer called. </p><p>“Oh, bye!” </p><p>“Oh god, that was so close,” Mermista groaned as they exited the store. </p><p>“I know, why do you have to be such a nightmare!” Glimmer chastised Frosta.</p><p>“What did I do!?” Frosta asked, exasperated. “I’m not the one who’s too chicken to talk to their ex!” </p><p>“He’s not my ex,” Mermista replied, and even Glimmer leveled her gaze at her. Mermista groaned. “It’s complicated, and I just, it’s awkward, okay?” </p><p>“Oh, they’re shopping for the wedding, huh?” </p><p>Mermista nodded. </p><p>“Think he got another plus one?” Glimmer asked, as Frosta asked, “Who’s wedding?” </p><p>“I don’t care either way,” Mermista lied. </p><p>“Who’s wedding?” </p><p>“You know, you never told me why you ended things with him, anyways,” Glimmer said. </p><p>“Yeah, and I don’t really want to.” </p><p>“Who’s wedding!?”</p><p>“Oh my god, Frosta, you don’t know them!” Glimmer groaned. </p><p>Frosta crossed her arms. “I’m hungry,” she said after a moment. </p><p>“Me, too, actually,” Mermista said.</p><p>Running errands for the wedding had been a pretty good distraction for Sea Hawk, so far, but damn if seeing Mermista’s friend Glimmer didn’t seem to set him back a few paces. And maybe he was going crazy, because he was almost 100% sure that he smelled Mermista’s perfume in that fitting room. </p><p>He sent Lily and Meghan pictures of the dresses that Sandy liked, and they chose one that best suited the wedding theme. She asked if he’d take her to the bookstore, and they had just enough time to stop by and browse for a bit before he had to get her home. </p><p>She picked out a small stack of books that Sea Hawk couldn’t say no to, and he made a show of lifting them onto the counter for her like they weighed two tons that had both Sandy and the cashier giggling. At least he had that going for him. </p><p>“Yeah, I’ll be in and out, I’ll catch up with you guys.”</p><p>Shit. </p><p>He didn’t have to say anything, Sandy did it for him. </p><p>“‘Mista!” she shouted, throwing her arms around Mermista’s waist and hugging her. </p><p>Mermista’s honey brown eyes were wide, panicked when they met Sea Hawk’s. He looked a little flushed, but his skin and eyes were bright as ever. Something was different. </p><p>“Hey, Sandy,” Mermista said, rubbing Sandy’s shoulder. “Sea Hawk.” His name came out much quieter, like a lump in her throat. “What are you guys doing here?”</p><p>“Baz got me a pretty dress for Marcos’ wedding! And then he got me a bunch of books!” Sandy exclaimed. </p><p>“That’s nice of him,” Mermista said, smiling softly at Sea Hawk.</p><p>“How have you been?” Sea Hawk asked. </p><p>Mermista shrugged in response. “Busy,” she said after a moment. “You?”</p><p>“Trying to stay busy. Marcos is running me ragged with all of these errands, and the wedding isn’t for another two months.” </p><p>“Well, you definitely don’t look ragged,” Mermista smirked, then blushed when she realized what she was saying. </p><p>“You look great,” Sea Hawk replied, and she blushed even deeper, looking at where Sandy was checking out a card display. </p><p>“How’s, um, everything going with, uh…” </p><p>“I just hit 90 days sober.” </p><p>Mermista’s eyes lit up. “Really?” Sea Hawk pulled out his wallet and handed her a plastic chip. “That’s awesome, Sea Hawk. Really. My dad did AA, well, he tried a few times, usually got to 30 days and gave up. This is awesome.” She handed the chip back, and Sea Hawk pulled her into a hug. She stiffened, then relaxed into it, melting into that luscious mixture of cologne and clean laundry that she missed so much. </p><p>“Sorry,” Sea Hawk said, pulling back. “I just…”</p><p>Mermista bit the insides of her cheek as he faltered. </p><p>“I miss you, too,” she blurted out. Immediately she averted her gaze, focusing her eyes on the floor. “I mean, I just…”</p><p>Sea Hawk laughed. “Yeah.” </p><p>Mermista looked up at him, biting her lip, and damn if that wasn’t  a face he missed. </p><p>“So what are you doing here anyways?”</p><p>“The newest Mer-mysteries came out this week.”</p><p>“Did it? Well, don’t let me keep you from that…”</p><p>“It’s not a big deal,” Mermista said. “I actually met some friends here, so…”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. 104 days</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>She’d probably mentally forgiven Sea Hawk back in late January, after coming home from Miami and understanding that if he wanted to make changes, he would, in his own time. Her pride is what kept her from reaching out to him, and eventually it almost became too awkward to do so. After all, he stopped trying two weeks before Christmas and sent her just one text on the day of. A text that she didn’t respond to because, well, pride.  </p><p>Okay, so maybe a couple of weeks wasn’t that long, but Mermista wasn’t taking any chances or looking for an opportunity to put herself in a painfully awkward situation. It didn’t mean she missed him any less, she was just really good at shoving those feelings to the back of her head. She found it kind of funny how it wasn’t even the sex she missed the most, but the feeling of being so close to someone. Cuddling, going dancing, little road trips, late night dinners, playing video games, smoking weed and watching movies. And yeah, he peppered in chaos between kisses, dipped their toes in danger, but wasn’t that a rush compared to her boring, normal life? Something about being with Sea Hawk made her feel alive. </p><p>And right now, she was sprawled across Perfuma’s bed, her head hanging over the edge as she sighed. </p><p>“Give him some time, it sounded like he was busy,” Perfuma said. She was sitting against the headboard with her tablet balanced on her bony knees, cold feet tucked under Mermista’s backside. </p><p>“This is so dumb. I’m being ridiculous right now.” </p><p>“No, it’s not, and no, you’re not.”</p><p>“I am not the type of person who just waits around for someone to call or text like this,” Mermista grumbled. </p><p>“Maybe he’s waiting on you to make the first move?” Perfuma asked. </p><p>“But, like, then he might think I like him, or something.” </p><p>Perfuma giggled. “Oh, I thought he already knew.” Mermista grabbed a pillow near her and threw it at Perfuma, who shrieked and laughed some more. </p><p>“I just don’t think he’s patient enough to,” she said. Her phone vibrated, and she swiped it off the bed, just to groan. </p><p></p><blockquote>
  <p>6:27p<b> unknown number</b>: Hey, it’s Frosta! Glim gave me your number so we can set up a time for you to do my hair! Here’s some pics of what I think I might want???</p>
</blockquote><p>“Not him?” </p><p>“No. Glimmer’s cousin. I kind of promised to do her hair for this dance she has next weekend.” </p><p>“Oh! How kind of you! I knew there was a heart in there somewhere, deep down under those boobs.” </p><p>“Shut up, and leave my boobs out of it. It wasn’t, like, cause I wanted to. It was a life or death situation.” </p><hr/><p>104 days of sobriety had been well worth it. Marcos and Tomàs both looked at him a little differently. A clear head made work better, and he realized he didn’t need to take shots just to connect with his customers. He didn’t feel like he needed to fuck anyone that looked at him a certain way. His time with Mermista made him realize that he didn’t want to sleep with anyone else. </p><p>Mermista… the way that Mermista looked at him when he told her? Well that was the best reward of all. </p><p>Sea Hawk paced his empty apartment as he stared at the screen of his phone. Contact pulled up, he literally just needed to hit “call” but it was somehow impossible for him to get his muscles to work. A sort of ridiculous amount of time passed before he finally just went for it. </p><p>“Sea Hawk!”</p><p>“Hey, Bow!” </p><p>“What have you been up to, buddy? It’s been a while!” </p><p>“Ahh, not much, just working and being a slave to wedding planning.”</p><p>“YOU’RE GETTING MARRIED!? TO WHO!?”</p><p>“No, no, no! Not me! My brother, Marcos!”</p><p>“OH. Okay!”</p><p>“Yeah, hah, I’m not quite there yet myself. I wanted to ask you something, though. I, ah, ran into Mermista today and it wasn’t an absolute disaster and I really want to see her again but was wondering if maybe she mentioned anything to you or Glimmer about it?”</p><p>“Sorry, man, she hasn’t talked to me at all today. Glimmer hasn’t told me anything, and she’s not home yet. But that’s awesome! I’m so happy for you! You should invite her over! What’s the worst that can happen?”</p><p>“I find out that she was just being polite?”</p><p>“When have you ever known Mermista to ‘just be polite’?”</p><p>Sea Hawk chuckled. “I guess you have a point. Okay. I’m going to call her. Thank you, Bow.”</p><p>“Good luck!”</p><p>Sea Hawk braced himself before he called her, and to his relief she picked up on the second ring. </p><p>“Hey.” </p><p>“Hey, gatinha.” </p><p>“What’s up?” </p><p>“I’m really really glad I ran into you today, and I miss you and —“</p><p>“Want me to come over?”</p><p>Sea Hawk’s face broke into a grin. “Yeah, I’d love that.”</p><p>“Cool. Be there in thirty.”</p><p>Mermista showed up with her backpack like she already knew she’d be spending the night. She didn’t let herself in, but as soon as Sea Hawk opened the door she melted into his arms.</p><p>And suddenly, holding her there and then, everything felt like it fell into place. </p><p>Mermista looked up at him when she pulled back, big brown eyes soft and warm. “Sorry I’m such a stubborn ass,” she said. </p><p>Sea Hawk shook his head. “Honestly? I think it was the kick in the head I needed.” He placed the palm of his hand on her cool cheek, and she leaned into it. “Can I kiss you?”</p><p>Mermista stood on her toes and pressed her lips to his, wrapping one arm around his shoulders and leaning into him, fingers twisting into hair. Her other hand found its way under his shirt, freezing fingers digging into his hip in such a way that made him gasp. After a few moments of that, she pulled back. “We should take this to your bedroom before I have to fuck you on the stairs,” she smirked, starting to unbutton her jacket. </p><p>Sea Hawk didn’t need to be told twice as she slipped off her coat, and he took it to hang it on a hook while she removed her shoes. </p><p>Mermista pushed him back on the bed with a force before climbing on top of him, straddling his hips and grinding down on him before leaning over and teasing his lips before moving to his neck. She felt him start to grow hard under her as she scraped her teeth down his neck, then sucked hard on his throat. He gasped, his fingers pressing into her hips. </p><p>“There’s no need to rush, gatinha.” Sea Hawk took her jaw in his hands, gently bringing her to face him and pressed his lips to hers softly.</p><p>“Ughhh, it’s just been a while.” She was wearing a low-cut shirt, and resisted the urge to shove her cleavage in his face in an effort to drive him just as crazy as she felt in that moment.</p><p>“I know. I know. Just let me savor you, a little bit, okay?”</p><p>Mermista wanted it RIGHT NOW, but she let him adjust their positions so he was on top of her. His dark eyes sparkled warmly as he looked down at her, his rough fingers sweeping a strand of hair out of her face before tracing her hairline to her jawline, his pillowy lips settling into a smile as he hummed happily.</p><p>“How are you so beautiful?” Sea Hawk asked. He had this sappy look on his face, and Mermista was pretty sure her expression mirrored it.</p><p>Gross, she really did like him. She rolled her eyes and kissed him again, tugging his shirt up with her hands so she could have easier access to those abs. </p><p>[WARNING: Explicit Sexual Content. Skip to next chapter if you don’t want to read.]</p><p>“Impatient,” Sea Hawk smirked, but he sat up to yank his shirt off over his head, one handed, messing up his hair with it. He must have been hitting the gym more often, or maybe saving calories by not drinking, because he was somehow more ripped than she remembered. Mermista took her time running her hands over his pecs, down those chiseled abs and over that v-shape where his hips met his stomach, before wrapping one hand around the visible outline of his cock in his basketball shorts. He choked back a moan and it was Mermista’s turn to smirk as she palmed it. </p><p>Sea Hawk grabbed her hand and pinned it above her head as he leaned down over her. “Having fun?” He asked as she raised her perfect eyebrows at him. </p><p>“Kind of,” she teased, moving the other hand to tug at his waistband. </p><p>“Not yet,” Sea Hawk commanded, in that low voice that seemed to send electricity right to Mermista’s core, as he grabbed that hand and pinned it over her head, too. And then, the fucking tease that he was, he grinded his erection against her so she could feel it through her jeans and if she wasn’t already wet before, she definitely was now as she arched her back, lifting her hips to meet him when he moved up. </p><p>“Tease,” Mermista exhaled as he grinned, moving her arms so he held both of her wrists in one of his big hands. </p><p>“What are you gonna do about it?” His free hand slid under Mermista and he expertly unclipped her bra through her shirt with a quick pinch. </p><p>“Wow, look at you, been practicing that move?” Mermista asked, then realized she didn’t really know if she wanted to know the answer when his eyes met hers. His grip on her wrists loosened. </p><p>“I have not, actually. I haven’t even looked at anyone else.” Okay, maybe that was a stretch, but nobody else even compared to the gorgeous woman he was holding right now. </p><p>Mermista took one hand back, moving to push Sea Hawk’s bangs out of his face with a rare soft expression. “Yeah, me either.” She sat up and kissed him before tugging her other hand free to slip her shirt off, letting her bra come with it and releasing her full breasts. Sea Hawk’s hands easily replaced her bra, caressing her breasts as she pushed her tongue into his mouth. </p><p>She always thought he was an ass man, but sometimes it was hard to tell with the way he practically worshiped her tits. She pushed him back so he was sitting with his back against the headboard and moved so she was straddling his lap, grinding against his erection as she shoved her tits in his face. He looked up at her with adoring eyes as he took a nipple into his mouth, scraping it with his teeth as Mermista sighed happily, one hand finding the back of his head and tangling in his hair, pressing him closer. </p><p>“I have a proposition for you.” </p><p>“What’s that?” Sea Hawk asked, moving to the other nipple. </p><p>“How about we get these off, and you continue savoring this, or whatever, while I sit on your dick?” </p><p>“Can’t say no to that,” Sea Hawk grinned, pressing one last kiss to her breast before moving to unbutton her jeans. Mermista got off of him just long enough to yank them off while he did the same. She grabbed hold of his hips and pulled him back from the headboard, and for a moment, Sea Hawk had to admire just how strong her arms were from swimming. That thought didn’t last long though, because she stroked him a couple of times before climbing on top of him again and running the tip of his erection through her slick folds. </p><p>“Porra,” Sea Hawk sighed, leaning his head back into the pillow and then gasping as Mermista lowered herself onto him, biting back a moan as he raised his hips to meet her. Normally she’d be a little wetter, a little more prepared—he’d make sure of that, the man was obsessed with eating her out—but something about this particular feeling of Sea Hawk’s cock stretching her walls like this is absolutely wonderful. </p><p>“Fuck, you feel so good,” she sighed as she rolled her hips against him, moving a hand to her clit to touch herself and leaning over him now as she grinded up against him, slow and deep, just the way she knew he liked it. She definitely understood the sentiment. He didn’t get the opportunity to reply because her lips were back on his and she was moaning into his mouth and, <em> wow</em>, he missed this even more than he thought. </p><p>He’s not even really aware that his hands are moving to her ass, guiding her up and down his length as he starts to thrust up into her, until she’s no longer just moaning into his mouth, she’s shaking on top of him, burying her face in his neck and babbling a string of curse words like she does when she's about to come. </p><p>“Sea Hawk,” she gasps, and he nods. </p><p>“That’s it, gatinha,” he whispers between open mouthed kisses on her neck as he starts meeting her thrusts at an even more frantic pace. “Come on my cock, gorgeous girl.” </p><p>He found the perfect angle and Mermista was nearing the edge, whimpering and stuttering into his neck as she kept up the pace, warmth spreading over her body as the pressure built up inside of her. Sea Hawk did this thing where he pulled all the way out and then slammed back over her, and she bit into his shoulder as she came, waves of ecstasy moving through her like lightning. </p><p>“Ah, fuck,” Sea Hawk cried as she did, the feeling of her walls clenching down on his cock sending him over the edge too. It had been far too long, he thought as Mermista collapsed on top of him, and he moved his arms to wrap them around her tightly while they caught their breath. </p><p>“Wowww,” Mermista teased as she slipped off of him and moved to lay next to him on the bed. “Finished already? Either I got better at that, or you’re getting old.”</p><p>Sea Hawk flipped her over so she was on her stomach and climbed on top of her, stroking himself so he’d get hard again. “Bold of you to assume that we’re done already.”  </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. they could think whatever they wanted</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Frosta, where are your earbuds?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think I left them in the car.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Go get them, I want to talk to Mermista.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can talk to her with me here!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, I can’t, because you’ll run your mouth to my dad and he’ll tell my mom!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ugh!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“UGH!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know, I’m so glad I don’t have siblings and that all of my cousins are older than me,” Mermista laughed as Frosta stormed out of the apartment. “So what’s up?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Glimmer leaned against the dining room table where Mermista was going to do Frosta’s hair and sighed. “Dude, I don’t even know anymore.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh-oh, trouble in paradise?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Glimmer nodded, her lips pursed. “You remember when I was talking to you about maybe occasionally hooking up with Catra and Adora, if they were both into it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, we did it a couple of times. And I don’t know. Ever since then, it feels like Adora’s head is somewhere else.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean, she’s had how many concussions? Can you blame her?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Glimmer rolled her eyes. “It’s not like </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span>. She and Catra are close friends again and I just feel like she’s not really in the relationship anymore. I know she wouldn’t cheat on me, but I just feel like I’m holding her back from being actually happy. And! I’ve just been having weird thoughts myself, and I don’t even know what to do with myself anymore.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Weird how?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, ever since Jewelstar moved back to California to be with his sisters, and he and Bow broke up because they couldn’t handle the distance, we’ve been spending a lot more time together.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, and? You’re roommates and grew up together. Perfuma and I spend a lot of time together.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, but you guys don’t have </span>
  <em>
    <span>feelings</span>
  </em>
  <span> for each other, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh, I mean, I did when I was fourteen but they weren’t reciprocated. I don’t anymore.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you think you would if you didn’t have Sea Hawk?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Doubt it.” Mermista wasn’t going to bother correcting people anymore, they could think whatever they wanted about her relationship with Sea Hawk. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, so… I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know.” Glimmer buried her face in her hands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Chill out, just tell me what’s going on. I mean, if you want to, I guess.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, Bow and I got drunk last night, and we cuddled on the couch and, I, I kissed him.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” Mermista gasped. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Glimmer nodded. “I feel awful.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you gonna do?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know. I have to--I have to tell Adora. But she’s gonna leave me. And I don’t think that--I don’t think that she’ll even want to be our friends anymore!” Glimmer was tearing up now, rubbing her eyes with the backs of her hands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” Mermista said awkwardly. Shit, where was Perfuma? She was so much better with all of this feeling stuff. “I’m sure… whatever happens is gonna be what needs to happen.” Yeah. Real smooth, Mermista.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Glimmer shrugged. “I just… don’t even know what to say to her. I know she’s gonna break up with me, I just know it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well… Glimmer…” Mermista paused as she tried to word what she wanted to say. Tough love was so much easier for her. “It kind of sounds like maybe you want that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If she doesn’t seem present in your relationship, and you’re starting to feel things for someone else… maybe you and Adora have run your course?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Glimmer sighed, then frowned as she sat down. “I came to you for the most realistic opinion, but I don’t think I actually wanted it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry,” Mermista offered. “Have you and Bow talked about it at all?” Glimmer shook her head. “Why not?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know, it’s awkward.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The door opened with a bang and Frosta came bounding back into the apartment. “I found this guy who said he’s your friend?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sea Hawk was closing the door behind them and he grinned at Mermista. “Hey, gatinha.” He walked over to her and wrapped an arm around her waist, pressing a kiss to her hair. “Hey, Glimmer. What’s wrong?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Frosta, put your earbuds in and put some music on.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Frosta groaned as she dropped into the chair, making a scene of putting in her earbuds and picking a song on her phone. She’d already texted Mermista pictures of what she wanted, which was a simple crown braid and some curls, so Mermista went to grab her flat iron and let it heat up while Glimmer updated Sea Hawk on her current situation. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s… tough,” he said when she was done. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you think I should do?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, you wanted advice, ah…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mermista snickered and shook her head at him while she finished braiding Frosta’s bangs into a crown, then sprayed some heat protectant into her hair. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“To be honest, Glimmer, I haven’t really been in a committed relationship since I was in school. I’m not really sure if I’d be any help, but… I think you should go with the person that you see yourself with for the rest of your life. If that means leaving Adora, just be honest with her when you do. Even if it hurts her now, I think it’s better in the long run.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Glimmer was nodding, processing what he said. “And for Bow? What do you think is going on there?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sea Hawk shrugged. “Well, if he was into it when you initiated it, I don’t think he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>just</span>
  </em>
  <span> doing it because he’s lonely, if that’s what you’re asking. The two of you have been friends for a long time. Maybe the feelings have always been there and he didn’t want them to get in the way of your friendship? I mean, he ended things with Jewelstar pretty fast after they moved away. He’s not the kind of person to stay in a relationship he doesn’t want to be in.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They kept going back and forth over it while Mermista curled Frosta’s hair with the flat iron. It went by so much faster than she expected—Frosta’s hair was fine and she didn’t keep it very long, so it curled quickly in comparison to Mermista’s which was thick as hell and currently fell to her mid back. When she was done, she gave Frosta a mirror to check it out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Frosta yanked out her earbuds and threw her arms around Mermista. “I love it! Thank you so much!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yep. Uh-huh. Personal space, kid,” Mermista said, patting her back once. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re one to talk about personal space when—“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ooookay, Frosta, we should leave because you still need to get changed into your dress or you’re gonna be late!” Glimmer exclaimed, jumping up from her chair. “Thanks again guys! Bye!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After they left, Sea Hawk got up from where he sat and pulled Mermista into an embrace, pressing his lips to hers. His hands found her lower back and he squeezed her tightly to him, intensifying the kiss even more. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mermista pulled back first. “Alright, horndog, relax,” she laughed. “Let me put this stuff away and we can get going.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mmm, I just can’t help it, you look so good in those jeans,” Sea Hawk admired her, leaning back against the counter. He looked absolutely delicious himself, but if Mermista gave into that today, they weren’t going to get anything done. And she really needed a dress for the wedding, because nothing she had was quite fancy enough for the dress code that was provided.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>“Dude, all of these dresses are way too expensive,” Mermista said, placing another one back on the rack. For a random Friday night in March, the entire mall was dead. The one store associate that offered to help them ten minutes ago was nowhere to be found, and the only other customer was an older woman who was spraying every perfume in the store on herself. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry about it, Mermista.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m gonna worry about it.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This would look gorgeous on you,” Sea Hawk changed the subject, pulling one dress out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sea Hawk, you can’t wear white to another woman’s wedding,” Mermista laughed. “Besides, that’s way too short--the dress code says knee-length or longer.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shopping for a suit was so much easier,” Sea Hawk chuckled as he put the dress back. He grabbed a dark emerald green one next, holding it out to her, and Mermista shrugged.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, because you just had to stand there and get fitted for it, Meghan already picked it out for you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How about this--give me that dress code paper, go get a fitting room, try this on, and I’ll bring you dresses so you don’t have to think about it. Just tell me what colors.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mermista considered it, but she guessed she could trust Sea Hawk’s style. The first dress was strapless and Mermista decided she didn’t want to deal with that all night in April, but by the time she had it off he brought her half a dozen other options. Some of them were dresses she’d already written off as too expensive, but they were really pretty. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She felt bad, because she felt something wrong with all of them. She was worried Sea Hawk would become irritated with her, but he was just as positive as ever. “Okay, so we can go to another store!” he said brightly, pressing a kiss to her shoulder. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The zipper got stuck on the last one, and Mermista had to bring Sea Hawk into the fitting room with her. He struggled with the fabric for a few seconds and then managed to unstick the zipper, pulling it down. “There,” he said, slipping the sleeves off of Mermista’s shoulders, letting the dress fall to the floor. She’d taken her bra off for more accurate fits given that most of the dresses had sleeves that were off the shoulders, or too thin. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>[WARNING: explicit sexual content, skip to next chapter if you don’t want to read it]</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sea Hawk pushed her hair over one shoulder, pressing his lips to her neck as he slipped his hands to cup her breasts. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re just too fucking gorgeous, Mermista,” he sighed happily, trailing his fingers over her stomach and down to her hips, toying with the waistband of her panties. “Can we have sex?” he asked, chocolate brown eyes meeting hers in the mirror as he pressed his lips to the place just  below her ear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“R-right here?” Mermista stuttered as he pulled her hips back to meet his, digging his fingers into her thigh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mmm-hmm,” he mumbled, teeth scraping her shoulder while he dipped one hand between her legs, sending shivers over her body. He had to have planned this, the fucker. He spent the drive there with his hand high up on her thigh, perfectly timed squeezes that made sure she didn’t forget he was there. Every time she stepped out in a new dress, he traced the neckline with a finger or played with her hair in front of the mirror, holding her close. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was like a game to Sea Hawk, to fuck her in as many places as he could. In the shower at her apartment while Perfuma and her parents were having dinner with Scorpia just a single wall away, in the pool at his parent’s house after the kids had gone to bed, at practically every club in town at this point, in his car after work, and the riskiest of all was in the walk-in at work. They’d never gotten caught before but the risk was always there, and Mermista hated to admit that it probably turned her on as much as it did him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Instead, she just blamed those brown puppy dog eyes and clever fingers of his. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fuck, yeah, okay,” she breathed, and he pushed her panties down so they fell to the floor. Mermista turned to him, crushing her lips to his and pushing his shirt up as he unbuckled his belt and started to unbutton his jeans as he pressed her up against the wall. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Always so wet for me, gatinha,” Sea Hawk purred as he slipped his fingers between her slick folds, bringing a whimper from Mermista as he stroked circles around her clit with two fingers. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re one to talk,” she retorted, pulling his erection from its cotton confines, but her voice was far too breathy to sound even close to intimidating. Sea Hawk pressed his forehead to hers, eyes closed, as she stroked him, their breathing in sync. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ready?” He asked after a moment. Mermista nodded, and he easily picked her up, holding her between his own body and the wall. He collected her fluids on the head of his cock before sliding easily into her with a quick thrust that caused them both to gasp. Mermista pressed her hand to her mouth as Sea Hawk began to rock into her, and she was super pleased with herself for picking a dressing room in the corner so he had her pinned against a wall rather than a partition. Sea Hawk is whispering in her ear, telling her how beautiful she is and how good she feels, followed by a string of curses in Portuguese. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mermista is clutching onto his shoulder, still trying to muffle her cries with her hand as Sea Hawk shifts her weight to one arm, pressing her a little harder against the wall as he slides one hand between them to stroke her clit, starting out slow but quickly amping it up, drawing her closer and closer to orgasm until Mermista has her head buried in his neck, practically sobbing into her hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sea Hawk doesn’t slow down a bit as her walls tighten around his member and she comes with a shudder and a choked cry, tightening her grip on his shoulders like he’s her lifeline. “Fuck,” she chokes out, her fingers twisting in the hair at the back of his head and pulling it. With nothing covering his mouth, Sea Hawk groaned openly into the air as he came, his movements halted as Mermista falls lifeless against him after coming down from her own orgasm. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gostosa,” he whispers, pressing a kiss to her neck once he can move again, and slipping out of her before helping her down. She leans back against the wall for a second, looking up at him with a dazed expression, her beautiful lips parted just slightly as she catches her breath. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>If he wasn’t so fucking terrified to say it, he’d tell her he loved her right then. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. mother</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Most of Mermista’s shifts at the aquarium were early in the morning, so when she wrapped them up around noon she’d often walk to the parking lot and find Sea Hawk leaning against her car with lunch and an iced coffee. As she was clocking out and shaking her hair from the ponytail it had been in since 5am, one of the guys who did the tours walked in the back. He had hit on Mermista nearly every single time they worked together, and she’d either straight up ignore it or tell him to knock it off, but today he just bitterly announced: “Your boyfriend’s waiting for you in the parking lot.” </p><p>“He’s not my boyfriend,” Mermista replied reflexively, because she already knew who he was referring to. </p><p>“Yeah, okay,” snorted Amity, another intern who worked the morning shifts with Mermista and was preparing to leave with her. She was 18 and had been dating the same girl since she was 15, Mermista found out, because she never stopped talking about her. “And Luz isn’t my girlfriend, we just make out sometimes for fun.” </p><p>Mermista rolled her eyes. “But that’s literally what we do,” she said as they walked out together.</p><p>“I see the way he looks at you. That’s a boy in love. I wish Luz would bring me lunch.”</p><p>“Maybe you should ask her to,” Mermista teased, receiving a shove from the other girl. “Hey, knock that off or I’m gonna accidentally knock you into the shark tank tomorrow.”</p><p>“You wouldn’t <em> dare</em>,” Amity challenged. </p><p>“Oh you don’t even know what I’m capable of. Hey Seagull.”</p><p>“Hey gracinha, hello Amity!” Sea Hawk said cheerfully as he pulled Mermista into a hug. After they said goodbye to Amity, he asked: “What are you capable of?”</p><p>“Murder,” Mermista said, running a finger down his chest, admiring the silky feel of his navy blue button-down. “So watch out.” </p><p>Sea Hawk chuckled nervously and handed her an iced latte. Mermista took a sip and smiled. “You’re safe now, at least for today.”</p><p>“If my safety relies on iced coffee, I got you,” Sea Hawk grinned. He tapped his fingers on the roof of Mermista’s car, a nervous habit of his. </p><p>“What’s up?” Mermista asked as she opened the car door and peeled off her purple aquarium polo, revealing a black tank top underneath. </p><p>“I wanted to ask, do you want to meet my mom before the wedding?” </p><p>Mermista pulled a regular t-shirt over her head. She couldn’t remember if it was hers or his originally. “Yeah, that’s cool.” The wedding was a week and a half away now, so she was going to have to prepare for that to happen pretty quickly. </p><p>“Okay, awesome! Because I invited her to lunch with us.” </p><p>“Like, right now?” Mermista asked, and he replied with a nod. “Sea Hawk, I just got off work and look like garbage. I probably smell like fish, too.”</p><p>“Nonsense! You could never look like garbage. You’re beautiful. Absolutely stunning.” </p><p>Mermista pinched the bridge of her nose. If she admitted she wanted to make a good impression on his mom, he might think she actually liked him, and she wasn’t trying to put out that energy. But she definitely didn’t want to meet his mom for the first time in a ratty band t-shirt and yoga pants with frizzy, wild hair. </p><p>“Now that I’ve agreed to it, I’m not talking my way out of it, am I?”</p><p>“Nope!” Sea Hawk grinned. “But don’t worry, we have some time. I’ll meet you at your apartment so you can change.”</p><p>“Oh, thank fuck.”</p><hr/><p>Sea Hawk’s mom frowned when she saw him. “Sebastian… I thought I told you to shave that thing off…”</p><p>“Whaaaaat? I don't remember that!” Sea Hawk feigned innocence as he pulled his mom into a tight hug. </p><p>“You are a very naughty boy,” his mom replied when she pulled back. </p><p>Mermista couldn’t help but laugh. “You should listen to your mom.”</p><p>“Hey, don’t gang up on me, you’re supposed to be on my side!” Sea Hawk protested. </p><p>“I have <em> never </em>been on your side.”</p><p>“You must be Mermista!” Sea Hawk’s mom turned her attention to Mermista, pulling her into a hug. “It’s so wonderful to finally meet you! My boys all adore you.”</p><p>Mermista felt her face flush at the idea of not just Sea Hawk but his brothers talking about her to their mom, especially when she had not even mentioned Sea Hawk to her dad. But she knew Sea Hawk was super close to his mom, and while she loved her dad he was not someone she talked to about her personal life. </p><p>And, like, it wasn’t that serious, was it?</p><p>
  <em> Dude, you’re meeting his mom, and you’re going to be his plus one at his brother’s wedding. </em>
</p><p>Looking at Sea Hawk by himself, his Japanese features were hardly noticeable, and in the pictures she’d seen of them together, he looked an awful lot like his dad. But next to his mom, you could see just where the dark eyes that crinkled when he smiled and those cheekbones came from. </p><p>Mermista was glad he gave her time to change because they went to a really nice French restaurant. When they both turned down the offer of wine, Sea Hawk’s mom questioned him. </p><p>“Mermista’s not old enough to drink, and I’m sober,” Sea Hawk explained. </p><p>“Sober? When did this happen?”</p><p>“A little over four months ago.” Sea Hawk explained a bit of the story behind his sobriety, leaving the DUIs and jail time out of it. Mermista knew Sea Hawk sent his mom money, but she didn’t really know how much his mom knew about how he made that money. </p><p>“And how old are you, exactly, Mermista?”</p><p>“I’m 20. I’ll be 21 in October.” A lot of the time she worried about their age difference. She knew she had to grow up faster than her years allowed and that she probably didn’t act like a lot of twenty-year-olds, but it didn’t mean much when Sea Hawk was 24 and in such a different stage of life in comparison.</p><p>“Ohh, so the caterpillar on his face isn’t the only reason you’re not wearing a ring. I understand. I married young and told my boys not to follow in my footsteps. Some things are better done later in life. Thank you for keeping my boy in line, though.” </p><p>Mermista decided she <em> really </em> liked Sea Hawk’s mom. She was funny with a dry sense of humor, managed to fluster Sea Hawk more than Mermista had ever seen him before, and she was kind and loving. </p><p>When she told him that in the car on the way back to her apartment, he beamed. </p><p>“I can tell she liked you a lot, too.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Gregory Fluffykins III</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sea Hawk held her hand on the drive back to her apartment, stroking the back of it gently with his thumb as he sang along to the radio and Mermista browsed through her phone with her free hand. He had plans with his mom for the rest of the afternoon, and Mermista had to study so she couldn’t really take the time and spend it with them even if she wanted to. </p><p>“Wanna spend the night at my place tonight?” Sea Hawk asked. It wasn’t like Mermista didn’t want him at her apartment, but it was a lot nicer to have privacy when it was just the two of them when they could. “My mom’s staying with Tomas. She said she’s had to deal with me for 24 years, she wants to see more of them,” he laughed. </p><p>“Yeah, that’s fine. When will you be home?”</p><p>“I’m not sure, but you can swing by whenever, or I’ll call you when I get there.” </p><p>“Okay, sure.” </p><p>Sea Hawk took her face in his hands and leaned over the center console to kiss her goodbye, leaving her breathless as her heart stuttered.</p><p>His kisses always did that, but there was something different in his eyes when he pulled back.</p><p>“See you later, then, beautiful.”</p><p>Mermista’s eyes began to burn as soon as she walked into her apartment, and as she got closer to her bedroom, they were watering.</p><p>One of Perfuma‘s favorite incense smells didn’t agree with her, and she was probably burning it in her absence. </p><p>“Perfuma?” She called, but nobody was there… she thought, until she heard the sound of something falling in Perfuma’s bedroom. She slowly opened the door. “Sorry if you’re naked!”</p><p>A little orange blur shot out of the now open door, running across the apartment and when it came to the wall opposite of her in the living room, let out a very confused meow. </p><p>A… cat? </p><p>Mermista rubbed her eyes and stared at the little creature, who stared back at her with golden eyes for a few moments before meowing loudly again. </p><p>“How’d you get into the apartment, little guy?” Mermista asked, suddenly glad Sea Hawk’s invitation was extended for whenever because she was definitely going to be coughing and sneezing all night from cat dander. Oh well, she was already going to have allergies, might as well make it worth it. She set her bag down against the wall and sat down, cross legged, then patted the floor in front of her and made a noise she hoped would attract the cat. He approached her slowly, sniffed her hand, then meowed before rubbing his head against her palm.</p><p>“Yeah, that’s it, little dude,” Mermista crooned as he crawled into her lap and let her scratch the space between his ears. </p><p>A few moments later, Mermista heard the front door open and Perfuma and Scorpia’s voices filled the apartment. </p><p>“Oh no, Gregory! How did you get out?” Scorpia dropped her bags to rush over and scooped the cat up in her arms, apologizing and offering a hand to help Mermista to her feet. “I’m sorry Mermista, I know you’re allergic…” </p><p>“It’s fine,” Mermista said as she stood up. “So this is your cat? And… I’m sorry, you named your cat Gregory?” She cocked an eyebrow at Scorpia, managing to make the tall, buff goth shrink under her stare. Then she sneezed, breaking the intensity. </p><p>“Well, yeah! I uh, when I got him from the shelter his name was Gregory Fluffykins III, and I couldn’t <em> change </em> his name, you know? So I call him Greg.” </p><p>“I mean, I guess that’s not as weird,” Mermista said. “It’s still a weird name for a cat.”</p><p>“Yeah, I get that a lot!” Scorpia rubbed the back of her neck with her hand. </p><p>“So, Mermista, Scorpia’s apartment is being renovated and she’s gonna sleep here for a week or so, is that okay?” Perfuma asked from where she was standing behind Scorpia, holding a packed bag of her own. </p><p>“Yeah, I don’t care,” Mermista said, sniffling again and wiping her nose with the back of her hand.. “But… the cat…” </p><p>“Bow was supposed to take care of him for the time, but he ended up cancelling last minute because his dads wanted him home for spring break and, I’m so sorry to put this on you last minute especially since you’re allergic and everything but we thought maybe if he stayed in Perfuma’s room--” Scorpia was talking a mile a minute with no end in sight, so Mermista chose to interrupt. </p><p>“I can just take Claritin and Benadryl, it’s fine, but our lease says no pets.”</p><p>“<em> If </em> we get caught, I’ll pay the fee,” Perfuma offered. </p><p>“Okay, I don’t really care, then,” Mermista said. “I’m going to spend the night at Sea Hawk’s, tonight, anyways.” </p><p>“Oh! Have fun!” Perfuma beamed, and Scorpia let out a huge sigh of relief. </p><p>“Yeah, you guys, too. Just, ya know, try not to break down the walls tonight.” </p><p>Scorpia’s face turned bright red and Perfuma giggled. </p><hr/><p>Sea Hawk was pleasantly surprised to see that Mermista ended up going to his place before he did, and even more surprised to find her passed out in his bed wearing lacy black panties and one of his t-shirts. She had a book open in front of her and her hand on the page, and her phone in her other hand, so she must have fallen asleep in the middle of studying. Sea Hawk took the textbook and her phone, using her notebook to mark her place before setting them aside. </p><p>It was only seven, so he rubbed her back until she woke up with a groan. </p><p>“‘Time issit,” she grumbled, patting the pillow for her phone. </p><p>“It’s seven,” Sea Hawk said. “I put your phone on the charger.” </p><p>“In the morning?”</p><p>“No, at night. You fell asleep studying.”</p><p>“Oh. I took a benadryl.” She was rubbing her eyes. </p><p>“I can tell,” Sea Hawk laughed. “Why?” </p><p>“Greg. Cat. Scorpia’s. At the apartment. She’s going to be staying there for a few weeks, I think.” Mermista sat up and yawned, then leaned forward with her chin on his shoulder. “You smell good,” she said, then wrapped her arms around his waist. </p><p>“Thanks, gatinha,” Sea Hawk grinned, placing his hand on her arm. “You hungry?” </p><p>Mermista shook her head. “Just tired. What’d you do with your mom?” </p><p>“Took her to a movie, then to SeaWorthy to hang out with Nance for a little bit. They’re good friends,” he explained. </p><p>“Oh, cool,” Mermista said, yawning again, into his back this time.</p><p>“You want to go back to sleep?” </p><p>“Mmmm,” Mermista murmured. “Yeah. Probably.” She then laid back down, taking Sea Hawk with her. </p><p>“Hey!” he said in surprise, then laughed as she tightened her hold on him and buried her face into his back. “I’m not tired right now.” </p><p>“Too bad,” Mermista said. “You’re warm and smell good, I’m keeping you.” </p><p>“Can I at least change into something more comfortable?” Sea Hawk bargained.</p><p>Mermista thought about it for a second, then let him go. “If you leave me, I’ll never forgive you.” </p><p>“Ha, okay,” Sea Hawk said as he got up from the bed. He changed into a long sleeved henley t-shirt and basketball shorts and crawled back into bed with her, pulling the blanket over them. She moved into his embrace, throwing a leg over his. “Hey, if you tangle up our legs, don’t get mad if I accidentally wake you up when I leave after you fall asleep,” Sea Hawk warned her, patting her thigh.</p><p>She grumbled, tightening her leg’s grip on his. Her hand strayed under his shirt, and she ran it over his abs before moving up to his chest, pinching his nipple between her fingers. She laughed into his chest when his breath hitched. </p><p>“Don’t start anything you don’t plan on finishing,” he warned her, grabbing her wrist. She responded by gently biting the nipple closest to her, looking up at him with mischievous eyes. “Alright, you asked for it.” </p><hr/><p>It’s nearly midnight when she makes her way to the living room, freshly showered and dressed in something a little more modest. Sea Hawk is playing a video game, cursing in Portuguese over his headset, but he’s laughing as well, indicating he was most likely playing with Marcos, Tomas, or both of them. </p><p>Mermista wonders what it would be like if she had siblings of her own, how different her life would be. Maybe if they were older she’d be a little more careless, if they were younger, though… she probably wouldn’t be here in Oregon right now, watching her sexy boyfriend playing video games on the couch. </p><p>Wait, boyfriend? Where..? Where did that come from? Maybe she was still half-asleep from the benadryl. </p><p>Sea Hawk noticed her and hit a button on his headset. “Hey, sleepyhead, I made dinner. There’s a plate in the microwave for you, if you’re hungry.” </p><p>“Thanks,” Mermista said, turning to head to the kitchen. He’d made chicken fried rice and vegetables, which she heated up before joining him on the couch. He finished up his game while she ate and scrolled through her phone, saying goodnight to his brothers before he disconnected the headset. </p><p>“Want to keep playing <em> Life is Strange? </em>” Sea Hawk asked just as she finished her food. </p><p>“Yeah, sure.” He pulled the game up as she washed her dishes, and she positioned herself between his legs when she returned to the couch, planting a kiss on his cheek. “Thanks for dinner, it was delicious.”</p><p>“Of course, gatinha,” Sea Hawk replied, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. </p><p>They got into the game, passing the controller back and forth and making decisions together. When they go to the part where Max is telling Chloe about her time-traveling abilities, Sea Hawk laughed at Chloe’s idea of how to use them. </p><p>“Would you do that?” </p><p>Mermista thought about it. “I doubt it. I’d probably rewind to before I met you and ask to have the window fixed myself,” she teased. </p><p>“Mean,” Sea Hawk whined. </p><p>“I’m kidding, mostly,” Mermista teased as the scene played. “What would you do?” </p><p>“I think we should answer the phone,” Sea Hawk said. “Chloe’s being a straight-up bitch. Kate could have gotten hurt.”</p><p>“Okay.” Mermista selected the option. “But I meant, like, if you could rewind time.” </p><p>“I don’t know, honestly. I’d say I’d love to take back getting those DUIs, but who knows if I would have gotten sober, then.” He wrapped his arms around her waist, squeezing her gently. “And had that not happened, well, who knows if I’d have you in my arms right now.” </p><p>Mermista rolled her eyes, but her stomach was telling a different story. “You’re so cheesy,” she grumbled. </p><p>“I’m alright with that,” Sea Hawk chuckled. “Hey, so I’ve been meaning to ask you something.” </p><p>“What? Wait, ugh, why does this stupid bottle keep breaking?” Mermista put the controller in his hand and he started looking around for a solution. </p><p>“At the wedding, when you’re meeting my family and stuff, how should I introduce you?”</p><p>“By my name? What do you mean?”</p><p>“Yeah, but like, Mermista my friend, or…my... girlfriend..?” He managed to get the bottle in the game, but she could see his hands were shaking.</p><p>Mermista turned so she could look at his face. “What do you want to introduce me as?” </p><p>Sea Hawk swallowed. Why was this so hard? He ran his hand up her shoulder, tangling it into her hair. The look in her eyes was unreadable. She didn’t look irritated, or overjoyed, just like she was waiting. </p><p>“My girlfriend.”</p><p>They just looked at each other for a few moments in silence, Mermista chewed on her bottom lip.</p><p>“Okay,” she said, nodding. “Okay. Yeah.” </p><p>“Yeah?” Sea Hawk exhaled in a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. </p><p>“Yeah. As long as you stay sober, I’m not going anywhere, anyways. I just thought… I thought this was mutually beneficial for us, to not be together… like that.” </p><p>He shrugged. “I don’t really think it matters. If you’re willing to put up with all of my shit, well, whether or not I call you my girlfriend doesn’t really matter if you’re still around. I’m going to have to do everything in my power to keep you safe no matter what.”</p><p>“Yeah, that’s true. So, you’re my boyfriend.” It was weird to use that word, since she hadn’t since high school, but it almost felt like a weight off her shoulders the moment it left her tongue. She grimaced. “My friends are going to be <em> so </em> annoying about this.”</p>
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<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Marcos’ Wedding Part 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The next morning, Sea Hawk woke up with the intense urge to buy Mermista something special to wear to the wedding. She had already left for her job at the aquarium, the early shift dragging her out of bed before the sun rose with just enough energy to press a kiss to his cheek before she left.</p><p>He contemplated it over coffee. Jewelry was a pretty safe place to start, but he didn’t see Mermista wear it often enough to really have an idea of what kind she’d like. Sometimes she wore tiny gold hoops in her ears, and other times one of those lacy-looking plastic choker necklaces. Neither of those really said much about her taste in jewelry. </p><p>He ended up calling Catra, trying to rope her into helping him and she just laughed into the receiver and sent him Glimmer’s number. </p><p>Glimmer was more than happy to help Sea Hawk on his journey to find Mermista the perfect accessory. She sent him the address to this boutique shopping center, and he ended up meeting her and, to his surprise, Bow.</p><p>"So, you guys finally made it official?" Glimmer asked.</p><p>"Yeah, I guess we did," Sea Hawk said with a grin.</p><p>"Well, I am happy for you guys!" Bow exclaimed.</p><p>"Thank you! I'm pretty happy about it, too." As if Sea Hawk's big grin wasn't enough to portray that.  "And I really appreciate you guys coming to help me. "</p><p>"Of course!" Glimmer said with a wave of her hand. “Though, I hate to admit it, but I rarely see Mermista wearing a lot of jewelry, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen her wear gemstones at all. I do know she prefers to wear gold tones over silver though, so we can start there. What color is her dress?”</p><p>“Navy blue,” Sea Hawk said. </p><p>“Okay, so something neutral like white, yellow, champagne, or maybe you could get away with turquoise. I know she likes to wear a lot of cooler tones.” </p><p>She led the boys around the boutiques, taking them in and out of the various shops. A lot of the options were flashy or gaudy than Mermista would care for. Or, Sea Hawk would find something he thought would be nice and Glimmer would wrinkle her nose  in disgust. </p><p>“Rose gold is tacky,” she announced. </p><p>“It is?” Bow asked, causing her to roll her eyes.</p><p>“You two have so much to learn. It's too bad that we don't have more time, " Glimmer sighed as they walked out of the third jewelry store empty handed. "Otherwise we could have gotten her something bespoke."</p><p> “Bespoke?” Sea Hawk asked. </p><p>“Yeah, made to order.”</p><p>“Oh, look at this one, the pendant looks like a jellyfish,” Bow waved them over to a display he was bending over.</p><p>It was a gorgeous necklace, but it was white-gold and: “I like Mermista a <em> lot </em>, but that’s like, half of what my car cost,” Sea Hawk laughed nervously. But that one right next to it… “That’s the one,” he said. </p><p>Bow invited Sea Hawk to lunch before they parted ways, but Glimmer gave Bow a face that said maaaaybe that wasn’t the best idea, so Sea Hawk made an excuse that he needed to bring Mermista lunch. Glimmer slipped her hand into Bow’s as they parted ways, and Sea Hawk was glad to see that they were doing okay, even after all of the drama. </p><hr/><p>After finding out that Scorpia’s cat would be at her apartment for two weeks, Sea Hawk insisted Mermista stay at his place instead of dealing with allergies for the whole time. She tried to argue, not wanting to impose on him for that long, but he wouldn’t hear it. </p><p>The night before the wedding, Mermista tried on her dress to make sure everything fit okay still. Her weight fluctuations in high school had given her anxiety about <em> anything </em>new fitting correctly, so she just needed to ease her mind. </p><p>During their erotic tour of all the high-end dressing rooms in Salineas, Mermista settled on a two piece dress in navy that reminded her of the lehenga choli her cousins wore to traditional weddings back in India. It was gorgeous, with a full skirt and an embellished top with a high neck that sparkled when she moved. </p><p>“Princesa,” Sea Hawk gasped when she turned around, even though he’d already seen her in it. </p><p>“Whatever,” Mermista groaned, but she was blushing anyways. </p><p>“Just needs one more thing,” Sea Hawk said, walking over to her with his hands behind his back. </p><p>“What is it?” </p><p>“Close your eyes and turn around?”</p><p>Mermista did as requested, and he swept her hair out of the way before taking her earrings out.</p><p>“What are you doing, weirdo?” </p><p>“Just be patient, gracinha,” Sea Hawk chuckled as he threaded the dangly earrings through her earring holes. Then he went behind her and clasped the necklace around her neck, adjusting it so it sat perfectly on her top. He pressed a gentle kiss to the nape of her neck that made her shiver. “You can open them now.”</p><p>Mermista’s breath caught as she studied her reflection. “Sea Hawk, this is…” she touched the necklace gently, then ran her fingers down the earrings. The necklace had a dainty gold chain that managed to frame the neckline of her top perfectly. It had pearls and diamonds bezel-set and evenly spaced out, so it wasn’t overly flashy. The earrings threaded through her ears and dangled a few inches down, holding the same diamonds and pearls in a similar style. They were classically gorgeous. </p><p>“These are beautiful,” she said, turning to him and tilting her head up to look at him. </p><p>“Almost as beautiful as you,” Sea Hawk replied, pressing a kiss to her forehead. </p><p>“This is way too much,” she said. Her honey-brown eyes were soft.</p><p>“Nothing is too much for you, my dearest.” </p><p>“<em> You </em> are too much,” Mermista laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck and standing on her toes to kiss him.</p><p>He embraced her back, his fingertips brushing the skin underneath the hem of the top, and when she broke away from the kiss for a moment to breathe, he growled: “You’d better take this off before I have to rip it off.”</p><p>Mermista didn’t need to be told twice. </p><hr/><p>Sea Hawk had to be at the venue a few hours before the wedding since he was a groomsman, so he caught a ride with Tomás so that he and Mermista could go home in just one car.</p><p>Before the wedding, Sea Hawk asked Tomás to request that the bartenders not serve him when he got there. He had no intention of drinking tonight, but he didn’t want the temptation to even have the opportunity to manifest itself. Tomás pulled his little brother into a tight hug. “Eu tô orgulhoso pra caralho de você, Sebastian. Você é incrível. [I’m so fucking proud of you, Sebastian. You’re doing amazing.]” </p><p>Hearing that from the brother he’d always admired for having his shit together and earning their father’s love and respect (despite not staying in the family business) was exactly what Sea Hawk needed to stay on track. He felt like he was walking on air as he helped Tomás and his wife, who were the best man and maid of honor respectively, make sure that every last detail was in place before the guests started arriving. </p><p>Mermista got ready by herself at Sea Hawk’s house. She still couldn’t believe that Sea Hawk had bought her such beautiful jewelry, or how well it paired with her dress <em> and </em> her day-to-day style. The necklace was shorter, not quite a choker but not long enough to spend the whole time she wore it in her cleavage. And it wasn’t overly flashy. Maybe she couldn’t wear it every day, but she definitely would be putting it on when she dressed up a little. </p><p>Sea Hawk asked that she drive his car to the venue rather than her own, because it was a little over an hour drive and he said he felt better knowing she was in a newer car. (She figured he probably didn’t want to drive her car home, and if she was being honest, driving a stick on the highway was annoying especially with an automatic was an option.)</p><p>When she arrived, it was everything she could do to try and keep a casual appearance while she tried to find him. She ended up running into Jack and Sandy first. </p><p>“You look like a princess, ‘Mista!” Sandy exclaimed as she threw her arms around her waist. Jack stood behind him and watched her sheepishly. </p><p>“Me? No way, that’s you, Sandy! You guys both look so cute!” </p><p>“‘M’not cute,” Jack said, his face flushing as he shoved his hands in his pockets. Sandy squealed in glee, spinning around so her strawberry-blonde curls and her skirt flared out around her. </p><p>“You’re right, Jack, you look very handsome!” Mermista corrected herself awkwardly. “Have you seen Sebastian anywhere?” </p><p>Jack shrugged and Sandy said no. </p><p>“Ah, okay, well I’m gonna go look for him, okay?” </p><p>“Sure,” Jack said. Sandy wanted to go with her but Jack grabbed her arm. “Mom said we have to stick together.”</p><p>“I’ll see you later, okay?” Mermista said. </p><p>“Aww, okay. Bye ‘Mista!” </p><p>She didn’t have to go far, she spotted a familiar head of curly brown hair setting up at the DJ booth. Standing next to her was Sea Hawk, who looked damn <em> good </em> in a suit, and if she was being honest, all Mermista wanted to do was grab him by that tie and whisk him away somewhere private. They were clearly having a heated conversation, Catra looking irritated and Sea Hawk looking borderline offended. </p><p>“Dói ouvir vc falar biscoito, <em> mineirinha </em> , [It hurts to even hear you say biscoito, <em> Mineirinha.] </em>” he said. </p><p>“Como você ousa dizer isso quando você se mudou quando tinha dois anos, sua anta americana? [How can you say that to me when you moved here when you were two, you silly American?]” </p><p>Sea Hawk pressed his hand to his chest and scoffed. “Retira o que disse! Meus irmãos <em> e </em> meus ancestrais falam bolacha. São <em> gerações </em> falando a língua corretamente. [You take that back! My older brothers <em> and </em> my ancestors all say bolacha. That’s <em> generations </em> of speaking the language correctly.]”</p><p>“Do I even want to know what’s going on?” Mermista asked as she approached them. </p><p>“Your boyfriend is an idiot,” Catra said pointedly. </p><p>“Yeah, what else is new?” Sea Hawk made the saddest face, and Mermista put an arm around his waist. “I’m just kidding, babe.” </p><p>His expression changed to one of shock, his eyes wide as he looked down at her. </p><p>“What?” Mermista asked, looking from him to Catra who was also looking at them both with a wide-eyed smirk. </p><p>“Gatinha,” Sea Hawk practically purred, his expression softening. “You’ve never called me that before.”</p><p>“Oh, whatever,” Mermista said, shoving him off of her. “Don’t make a big deal out of it.”</p><p>“I absolutely <em> will, </em> ” he teased, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind and pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “ <em> Babe.” </em></p><p>“Ugh, you’re insufferable.”</p><p>“And you’re stuck with me.”</p><p>“Well, yeah.”</p><p>“Get a room, you two.”</p><p>“You know, that’s not a bad idea…”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Marcos’ Wedding Part 2: Ceremony</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“How did Catra get this gig, anyways?” Mermista asked after she and Sea Hawk left Catra to finish setting up the DJ booth. A few test songs sounded throughout the venue, then stopped. “I mean, Catra’s my friend, and stuff, but this wedding is super boujee.” The venue was an estate on an acreage that made it seem like they were in their own little world. It had enough bedrooms that a good number of the guests would be staying the weekend at the venue, including Mermista and Sea Hawk. Mermista thought that Sea Hawk’s dad’s house was big, but this place was an actual mansion. </p><p>Sea Hawk chuckled. “They did have an actual wedding DJ, but they cancelled due to needing to move. Catra happened to be hanging out with us when it happened, and she talked herself up. She’s pretty good, actually. Plus she knows Brazilian music, which is good for us..”</p><p>“You guys hang out with Catra?”</p><p>“She was buying and we were all smoking together.” That made a lot more sense. “Speaking of which…” </p><p>“Yeah, I brought your vape.” Mermista patted her little crossover bag. Sea Hawk let out a sigh of relief. </p><p>“Thank you so much.” He intertwined his fingers in hers and led her out a back door into a little garden area. He smoked and talked about how things were going with all of the last minute wedding stuff, how Marcos was nervous he was going to fuck up his vows somehow. How beautiful Meghan looked in her wedding gown. “Of course, not as beautiful as you, gracinha.” Mermista rolled her eyes but she couldn’t hide the smile on her face. </p><p>“Hey, will your lipstick transfer?” Sea Hawk didn’t normally care about stuff like that (in fact, once he told her the messier the better) but Mermista knew that this was a special occasion.</p><p>She pressed two fingers to her lips to show that it wouldn’t, and his hands found her waist as he kissed her deeply. </p><p>When the door opened behind them, Sea Hawk dropped his hand with the vape in it behind his back and stepped away from Mermista like a little boy with contraband, but his shoulders relaxed when he saw it was Tomás. </p><p>“Aww, you’re not gonna share, Baz?” Tomás teased, and Sea Hawk laughed as he offered the vape. “Don’t tell Dad.” </p><p>“Fuck, if I can avoid talking to dad tonight it will be a blessing.” </p><p>“Hey, Mermista,” Tomás said, giving her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. “How are your classes going?”</p><p>“I’m keeping my head above water,” Mermista said with a shrug. “How are the girls?”</p><p>“Wild,” Tomás said, exhaling a cloud of vapors. “Don’t tell her I told you guys, because she’s waiting until after the wedding to announce, but I’m going to have a goddamn stroke if I don’t tell someone. Gracia’s pregnant again.”</p><p>Sea Hawk gasped. “Really!?” </p><p>“Aw, congratulations!” Mermista said, watching Sea Hawk as he practically vibrated out of his suit. </p><p>“Yes, exactly, keep that energy for when she tells you,” Tomás laughed as Sea Hawk threw his arms around him. He offered the vape to Mermista, but she shook her head.</p><p>“It’s Ramadan,” she said. “I can’t consume anything ‘til sunset.”</p><p>“Oh, right, I forgot that you were Muslim.” </p><p>“Yeah, well, I’m pretty bad at practicing most of the time, ‘cause I don’t really know what I actually believe in. But I participate in Ramadan because my dad would have a stroke if I didn’t.” </p><p>“You’re probably happy this is an evening wedding, then, huh?”</p><p>Mermista nodded. “Definitely. I’m used to not eating while people around me do so it’s not difficult for me, it’s just awkward. Especially when people start asking me if I can have this or that and the answer is no.”</p><p>Tomás laughed. “Well I’m glad you’re here to keep this one in line tonight,” he said, shoving his brother gently on the shoulder with a grin. “I’m gonna go back inside, but you’ve still got a little bit of time before you’re needed back with everyone else, Baz.” </p><p>“I set an alarm,” Sea Hawk said, holding up his phone.  “I’ll get Mermista with Mom and I’ll be back there in a few.</p><p>It all came together then, why Sea Hawk wanted Mermista to meet his mom before the wedding. She sat with Nancy and her husband, Dean, the head chef at SeaWorthy in the first row, and Sea Hawk had arranged for Mermista to sit with them. Mermista had been anxious to be sitting alone with strangers in the crowd, and she was relieved that wouldn’t be the case. </p><p>It also helped to put an extra person between Sea Hawk’s mom and their dad, who was assigned to be sat at the other end of the front row with Lily and Jack. </p><p>“You couldn’t even shave for your brother’s wedding?” Ueno sighed at the sight of her youngest son. She wore her hair in a low bun with a beautiful diamond-embellished comb tucked into it, paired with a lovely blush-colored midi-dress that suited her small frame and the late spring beautifully. </p><p>“I did shave!” Sea Hawk protested, but his mom narrowed her eyes at him. </p><p>“You know what I mean, Sebastian.” </p><p>“Mama, the mustache is not going <em> anywhere </em>,” Sea Hawk laughed as he pulled his mom into a hug. “It’s a part of me now.” </p><p>“Such a shame that my beautiful son doesn’t realize how unattractive that caterpillar on his face is,” she sighed, shaking her head at him. She turned her attention to Mermista, giving her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. “You, my dear, look beautiful.” </p><p>“So do you!” </p><p>“Oh, thank you, dear. I tried a little bit today. Can you please talk some sense into my boy and get him to shave that thing off? Or maybe do it for him in the middle of the night.” </p><p>Mermista laughed, and Sea Hawk excused himself before he could be verbally harassed by his mother anymore, giving Mermista a lingering kiss on the lips before he departed.</p><p>Nancy was excited to see her again, asking how the internship was going and gushing over the two of them <em> finally </em> establishing a relationship between telling Sea Hawk’s mom how good Sea Hawk had become at managing the restaurant. She’d been trying to get him to start managing it for a year or two now, knowing he could handle it and that she might get a vacation every once in a while if he did, but he kept resisting because he didn’t want the hours or the added responsibility. His sobriety made it a no-brainer, because the temptation was just too strong working behind the bar. Now he put those math and bookkeeping skills to work, balancing her books and managing inventory and payroll while she handled staffing and customers. </p><p>Mermista knew he wasn’t passionate about it, the hours were longer and it wasn’t nearly as much fun for him as bartending was. “But it’s what I gotta do for now,” he said when he told her about it. </p><p>As other guests began to find their seats, Sea Hawk’s mom greeted old friends and became acquainted with members of Meghan’s family, who came by to say hello before finding their own seats. Mermista found out that Meghan’s parents were both lawyers and had their own firm this way, and it made the glitz and glam of the whole event even more evident. </p><p>Soon, the upbeat music Catra had been playing while people gathered turned into a slower song that Mermista had heard before in a movie, but couldn’t quite name, and the wedding party began walking down the aisle and taking their places in front of the altar. </p><p>This was the first western-style wedding Mermista had ever attended, and while she knew enough about them to not make a fool of herself in attending it, a lot of the traditions were interesting to watch. </p><p>The bridesmaid that Sea Hawk escorted down the aisle was tall and thin with platinum-streaked blonde hair that fell down her back in a sleek curtain. She was clinging to Sea Hawk’s side a bit too much for Mermista’s liking, but she shoved those feelings down. It helped that he winked at her as soon as he stood in place next to Tomás. Next to her, his mother chuckled softly. </p><p>“Such a flirt, that boy,” she sighed, patting Mermista on the leg. </p><p>Sandy was a beautiful flower girl, scattering soft pink and red rose petals down the aisle like she’d been practicing for weeks. According to Sea Hawk, she had been, too, not wanting to mess it up on the day of. </p><p>To Mermista’s surprise, the ring bearer was Meghan’s dog, a Shiba Inu named Pepper. He proudly pranced down the aisle holding the basket with the rings in it in her hand, and Mermista caught a glance of Sea Hawk’s dad’s scowl at the sight of it. </p><p>It was the first time she’d seen his face, she realized, and she was just as unimpressed with him as he was with Pepper. </p><p>Ueno beamed at the sight of her three boys, all grown and dressed in their suits. She teared up during the wedding vows, and Nancy took her hand to comfort her. </p><p>Once the ceremony was over, people began to make their way to the hall where the reception and dinner would be held in half an hour, after formal pictures were taken of the bride, groom and wedding party. Tomas and Sea Hawk came to get their mom because they wanted pictures with her, too. </p><p>“You wanna come watch?” Sea Hawk offered, wrapping an arm around Mermista’s waist and smiling at her like he had been away from her side for weeks and not, like, half an hour. </p><p>“Sure, why not?” Mermista agreed, and followed them outside to the courtyard where Marcos and Meghan were already posing in front of the camera, a beautifully lit fountain behind them. The courtyard was set up like a photography studio, with diffused floodlights and multiple photographers and photography assistants to ensure photos were taken from multiple angles and the lighting was perfect for every one of them, even as the sun dropped towards the horizon behind them. </p><p>The newlyweds looked so happy, and the sight of them so in love with each other did funny things to Mermista’s stomach, especially as she leaned into Sea Hawk’s embrace. Sandy ran up to them and asked Sea Hawk if she could have her picture taken with him and Mermista. Just as they did, Sea Hawk’s dad called her name abruptly and she ran off to him. </p><p>Sea Hawk sighed. He’d been able to avoid his dad so far, and was wondering if he’d manage to keep it going the rest of the night. It was taking a toll on him and he was desperately trying to avoid showing it. He fingered the three month sobriety coin in his pocket, and Mermista looped her arm through his and leaned into him. </p><p>“You’re doing great,” she said softly. She’d stopped drinking around him altogether in solidarity with his efforts. It sort of leaked out into other areas, too--other than a drink or two at a party or a glass of wine with Perfuma after midterms, she wasn’t drinking much without him, either. She knew tonight would be hard on him, the presence of his dad making the open bar even more tempting. But she wouldn’t have been drinking because of Ramadan, anyways, so she really hoped that would help get him through the night. </p><p>Sea Hawk beamed down at her, pressing his lips to the top of her head before he had to go to pose for a few pictures himself. Even his dad’s disapproving look when he joined the photoshoot didn’t phase him. </p><p>He had 146 days behind him. </p><p>He had 35 days until his six-month milestone. </p><p>He had two brothers and a mom who cared a lot about him, and they were all proud of him.</p><p>And he had the most amazing girl, who meant the whole world to him, standing just out of view with the most beautiful smile on her face.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I am pretty sure there will only be 3 parts to the wedding but we'll see</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Marcos’ Wedding Part 3: Toasting</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After family photos were done, Sea Hawk took her to the ballroom where guests were mingling. Mermista was introduced to far more people than she’d ever remember. Sea Hawk’s father had several siblings, some that also moved to Oregon and had kids and some who flew in from Brazil. </p><p>It felt good to be on Sea Hawk’s arm, because he was charismatic and talkative and he’d steer the conversations so they weren’t awkward. Even when she was just there while he chatted with family members in Portuguese, she didn’t feel invisible. </p><p>Dinner began, to Mermista’s relief, after sunset. Sea Hawk made sure that her water glass was always full, because he remembered her telling him that being thirsty all day was her least favorite part of Ramadan last year. His least favorite part was not being able to have sex during the fast, but she told him he didn’t get to have a least favorite part and that he was lucky to be getting laid at all. </p><p>The tables were set up to sit eight people each, and Mermista was surprised to see her name on the little place card next to Sea Hawk’s, especially since she made the decision to attend so late in the game. </p><p>Sea Hawk explained that the place cards were most likely made last year when he’d already said she would be his plus one. </p><p>“I didn’t realize how much planning ahead was involved in a wedding,” Mermista noted as she ran a finger over her name, embossed in gold ink on the thick ivory cardstock. </p><p>“Yeah, it’s a lot, but that’s what wedding planners are for,” Sea Hawk said nonchalantly, like a wedding planner was a common necessity. </p><p>While this wasn’t the first wedding Mermista had attended, it was the first one she’d been to outside of India in an actual venue and not a backyard. When her oldest cousin got married, they had a potluck and the ceremony was blessed by a priest in a back yard lit up with string lights. They were always beautiful and intimate, this was just something else entirely. </p><p>Mermista wasn’t stupid, she already knew that they came from very different worlds. Sea Hawk had a big family that loved him despite his flaws, and they were all dripping in incomprehensible wealth. He’d never had to go without, and a trust fund in his name that matured in 5 year increments, not to mention the amount of money he was sitting on from his black market dealings, ensured that he never would. </p><p>Mermista had a dad who loved her in his own way, but everything else she had to work for. Her mom’s family had disappeared alongside her, and her dad’s sister and her family were in the same sort of financial shape they were in. They pinched pennies to get by, and they managed okay. </p><p>Sea Hawk seemed to notice her sudden change of mood. “Hey, everything okay?” </p><p>“Yeah, yeah,” Mermista dismissed the question. “I’m just gonna go to the bathroom.” </p><p>She stood up abruptly and headed out of the dining hall. She didn’t know where the bathrooms were in this gigantic estate, but she’d find them eventually. She wrapped her arms around herself as she made her way down the main hallway. When she eventually found the bathroom, she pushed the door open to the chatter of two women. </p><p>“I always thought he was gay, but I guess he’s just a chubby-chaser.”</p><p>“You know, we went to Junior Prom together? We both got super drunk and fucked but then he was super weird about it after, he all but avoided me for the rest of the year. He looks great now, and he was <em> super </em> smooth when we were doing the wedding party stuff together, I’d love to take him for a ride again.”</p><p>“Better move in quickly, then, knock that girlfriend out of the way if you want a slice of that Marinho pie, now that Marcos is taken you’re running out of time.” </p><p>The bathroom attendant gave Mermista a smile and a face that said she’d rather be anywhere else, and Mermista shared that sentiment as she walked past the two women who were standing in front of the sinks, fixing their hair and reapplying their lipstick. </p><p>If she wasn’t already sure she knew they were talking about Sea Hawk, the long sleek blonde hair of the girl he escorted down the aisle was all the confirmation she needed. They made eye contact, and the girl smirked. Mermista chewed on her lip as she locked herself in the stall at the far end of the bathroom. </p><p>“Honestly, I’m so tired of lower-class girls who can’t stay in their lane.” They were speaking louder now, and Mermista knew it was because they <em> wanted </em> her to hear, but she wasn’t going to give them the satisfaction of hurting her feelings. </p><p>“I know, but you know guys only like them because they’re easy. He’ll get tired of playing with her tits after a few months and then realize he needs a woman who is actually in his league. Then you’ll get your chance to snag him.”</p><p>Her friend laughed loudly, carelessly.</p><p>She wasn’t.</p><p>Mermista pressed her palms on either side of the sink in the stall and stared at her reflection in the mirror. This swim season had been intense and her waistline was smaller than ever. She was actually pretty surprised when her normal dress size was too big on her and she had to size down for the first time in her life.</p><p>Still, those words took her back to the mind of the embarrassed thirteen-year-old girl whose thighs rubbed holes into the inner parts of her jeans and seemed to need a bigger bra every other month for what felt like forever.</p><p>But she wasn’t that girl anymore. She’d worked hard to overcome that, to appreciate her curves for what they were and not despise them for existing. To appreciate her body for what it could do, not what it looked like. And eventually, to love the way it drove Sea Hawk fucking insane when pressed up against his.</p><p>The jealousy of a woman half a decade older than her wasn’t going to put a halt to any of that.</p><p>Mermista shook her head, fixed a few strands of hair that had gone astray, reapplied her lipstick and went back to the dining hall. </p><p>This was a lot, but it wasn’t like she couldn’t handle it. </p><p>Besides, she realized as soon as she sat back down next to him and Sea Hawk took her hand, pressing his lips to the back of it and looking at her with those dark, sparkling eyes, he didn’t care that they were from different worlds. </p><p>“Are you alright, gracinha?” he asked, still worried about her. </p><p>The only thing she had to offer was herself, she didn’t have family connections or money or anything that Sea Hawk could use to advance himself. She spoke sarcastically, had a bad attitude, frizzy hair and stretch marks on her ass, and he liked her anyways. He never made her feel bad for not having a lot of money, never complained about paying for things or held it over her head. He was more than happy to do all of that stuff for her, whether or not he got anything out of it. </p><p>“I’m great,” Mermista said, pressing a quick kiss to his lips. And she meant it. </p><p>A moment later, Jack came by holding a box, announcing it was for Marcos’ tie. </p><p>“What?” Mermista whispered to Sea Hawk, who laughed as he dropped a bill into the box and the other guys at the table did the same. </p><p>“Jack, can I have a sticker anyways?” </p><p>“Sure,” Jack said, pulling a sticker from a sheet and handing it to him. It had a little drawing of a cow and said “mão de vaca” on it.</p><p>“It’s just a silly tradition, they collect money from the men in attendance and then cut up Marcos’ tie and give a piece to everyone who pays. If they don’t pay, they have to wear this sticker.” </p><p>“What does it mean?” </p><p>“Cheap ass,” Sea Hawk laughed. He held the sticker on the tip of his finger for a few moments, then said he’d be right back. Mermista watched in curiosity as he sauntered over to another table. He grabbed onto the shoulders of a man who Mermista remembered being his favorite Uncle Jorge. He was nice, but hugged Mermista far too tightly and for too long and said something in Portuguese that she wasn’t sure she wanted to hear translated. She couldn’t hear what he said over the music and chatter of the other guests, and maybe she was a little distracted at the view of his ass as he bent over, but everyone at the table laughed. They chatted for a few moments, then Sea Hawk came back with a satisfied grin and Mermista saw that he’d left the sticker on his uncle’s back, just below the collar of his jacket. </p><p>“He’s going to know it was you, and I’m not going to stop him if he comes over to smack you later,” his mom scolded him. </p><p>“I’ll live,” Sea Hawk laughed, his smile boyish and warm, really reaching his eyes for the first time that night. </p><p>When the meal was over, the estate staff was clearing plates and pouring drinks. A waiter with a bottle of champagne began to fill glasses at the table. </p><p>When he arrived at Sea Hawk’s, they both rushed to say “No, thank you.” Mermista couldn’t help but giggle at their synchronization. </p><p>“It’s for the toast,” the waiter insisted. </p><p>“We’re both fine. It’s Ramadan and I’m not old enough to drink,” Mermista replied sharply, trying to take the weight off Sea Hawk. </p><p>“You should let the gentleman decide,” the waiter responded gruffly. </p><p>“They said no, are you hard of hearing?” Sea Hawk’s mom chimed in, glaring at the waiter who backed off. “No manners,” his mom tutted, shaking her head at him as he walked away. </p><p>“Thanks, mom,” Sea Hawk said. He actually enjoyed champagne toasts, and the feeling the sparkling drink gave him had always been pleasant and light. Maybe one day he’d be able to have it again, but today wasn’t it. Not when there were so many odds going against him tonight.  He probably wouldn’t be able to truly relax until he and his father were no longer on the same property. </p><p>A small part of Sea Hawk hoped that his sobriety would make his dad proud, but when he asked Marcos if he’d said anything about it, Marcos didn’t want to tell him. When he kept pestering him, Marcos looked like he was in pain as he recalled his father’s words. “Figures that someone with such little self control can’t even handle something as simple as alcohol.” It was stupid, after all of these years, to still feel the need to make his dad proud, but he couldn’t help it. That little boy who desperately wanted his dad’s approval never really grew up. </p><p>The toasts went by quickly, first Meghan’s dad blessing the marriage, then Marcos thanking Meghan for becoming his wife and hoping for a prosperous future. A few others toasted their blessings, including Sea Hawk’s dad whose was short and to the point. Tomás’ speech included a story about a stunned college-aged Marcos crashing his car into a streetlight after Meghan agreed to a date with him over the phone that had the whole venue laughing and Marcos’ face as red as a tomato. </p><p>And then came dancing, which Mermista had been dreading all night. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>remember when i said this would be 3 parts probably earlier today? i lied</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Marcos’ Wedding Part 4: Dancing</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>CW // Some analysis of religion, esp in the context of drinking alcohol and adopting a religion from parents</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Mermista had been dreading dancing all night, because she knew that Sea Hawk wanted to and she wouldn’t have any liquid encouragement to calm her nerves. Wedding dancing in a floor-length gown with a bunch of Sea Hawk’s family around was different than drunkenly dancing in a club in a miniskirt with the sole purpose of working Sea Hawk up to the point of dragging her into a private room somewhere. Still, she let him lead her outside to the dance floor, and they watched as Marcos and Meghan wrapped up their first dance. The way they looked at each other was unreal, the kind of look you only saw couples give each other in movies. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was a look she recognized, because she’d seen it on Sea Hawk’s face a number of times over the years. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They have flip-flops if you want to change out of your heels,” Sea Hawk offered, gesturing to a table where other women were leaving their heels in exchange for more comfortable footwear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m okay,” Mermista said. “I’m used to heels and… they’re the only reason my skirt isn’t dragging on the floor.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Short ass,” Sea Hawk teased, and she pushed him playfully. “I’m not going to complain though, they just make it easier to do this.” He took the side of her face in his hand and leaned down to kiss her, softly then intensifying it until her head was spinning and the rest of the world fell away from them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Okay, maybe if he did that on the dance floor she could get through this.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once the newlyweds’ first dance was over, Sea Hawk pulled Mermista to the dance floor and led her through a slow and sweet waltz to compliment the slow song that was currently waiting. Mermista was following along fine until she wasn’t. She stumbled and he caught her, giving her a reassuring smile as she cursed under her breath and her face flushed as she anxiously looked around. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sea Hawk leaned forward, his dark eyes soft. “Just keep your eyes on me, gatinha, don’t worry about anything else.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’d asked Catra to play something special for them earlier that day, and was wondering just how much Catra wanted Mermista to suffer on the dance floor as the songs kept changing and it kept not being the one he requested. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then, finally, finally it played. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He pressed a kiss to her forehead as the first few beats played, and for a moment he worried maybe she didn’t remember the song. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It had been almost two years, after all, so he couldn’t blame her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then the second verse came in, and she snorted and shook her head at him. “Really?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He almost missed the chorus because he was grinning so wide. “Você me traz sorte, É o meu talismã,” he sang to her, and they were back in the kitchen again, making pancakes for the kids and dancing together for the first time. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>This time, though, Mermista didn’t need him to lead the whole time. He’d taught her well, and she was laughing through the spin and dip, her skirt flaring around her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Todas as manhãs, sonho com você, sonho com você,” he all but whispered in her ear, holding her close as the song wrapped up, pressing his lips to her temple. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re such an idiot,” Mermista laughed when she pulled back, but her eyes were shining. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your idiot, I hope,” Sea Hawk grinned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Duh.” Mermista rolled her eyes, and he took her hand, leading her off of the dance floor as the music began to speed up. He got them both bottles of water and they ended up walking through the estate’s massive gardens together, hand in hand. Her top was sleeveless, so he shrugged off his jacket and put it over her shoulders. Once they were far enough away from the building, Mermista pulled out the vape and they smoked until they were sufficiently buzzed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can’t drink during Ramadan, but you can smoke?” Sea Hawk asked curiously as they settled onto a bench. He pulled her legs into his lap and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean, technically I shouldn’t be drinking or smoking ever?” Mermista said. “But it’s, like, debatable whether or not marijuana is haram, while the Quaran specifically says alcohol is.” She shrugged. “I didn’t choose Islam, my parents did. I do what my dad tells me I should. And I know for a fact he drinks and smokes way too much, but I always looked forward to Ramadan because he’d sober up for a month. But he was raised Hindu and converted when he met my mom, so I’m sure that has something to do with it.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s crazy, because in Catholicism, alcohol is revered as a good thing. So I grew up hearing about how it was created for our enjoyment, then it ended up making me miserable.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kind of makes you wonder if it’s all bullshit just to control us, huh?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, especially when my dad would always threaten us with damnation if we stepped out of line when we were kids. It never sat right with me. I stopped going to church as soon as I got out of the house.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I haven’t been to a mosque or even prayed in years,” Mermista admitted. “Even when I was a kid, when I did because that’s what I was supposed to do, it just never felt… authentic? So I kept figuring when I was an adult, that I’d eventually get to choose and I’d know what I believed in then. But now? I’m not sure I really believe in anything.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I felt the same way, and Marcos did, too. He said it was hard for him to leave the church because it was like leaving behind a support system in a way? I didn’t experience that, though. And I think a part of it was because it was so deeply entwined with my dad that I couldn’t separate the two. I didn’t have time to worry about the wrath of God when my dad was standing right there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They headed back to the building in time for the cake-cutting ceremony, watching in amusement as Meghan smeared cake into Marcos’ face and he paid her back with a big fat kiss. Cupcakes were distributed, and Marcos approached them for the first time that night, wiping his face with a cloth. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mermista, thank you for coming! You look lovely,” he said as he pulled her into a tight hug. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was a beautiful wedding, Marcos,” Mermista replied, quietly thankful that he’d wiped his face before embracing her. “You and Meghan are so sweet together.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcos beamed at her, his hazel eyes flickering from her to Sea Hawk for a moment before he seemed to brace himself. “Baz, um, Dad was looking for you earlier.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sea Hawk shifted uncomfortably where he stood. “Did he say why?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcos shook his head. “If I had to guess it’s about your attendance at the Marinho Watercraft Summer Benefit in June.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But I don’t work for dad anymore,” Sea Hawk said bitterly with a hint of confusion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, well, he’s trying to get on the board of commissioners for the county, so he’s probably trying to promote his image.” He paused for a moment, trying to find the words. “As a family man.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sea Hawk snorted. “Wouldn’t having me there do the opposite of that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m only speculating. Just... Don’t make him wait too long, you know how he is. I want this weekend to be peaceful, please.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, okay, I’ll talk to him before we turn in.” Sea Hawk appreciated Marcos’ efforts to keep the peace, he really did. Even more so, he appreciated that his brother understood that he didn’t go out of his way to fight with his dad, it just always happened. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, Baz. And thank you again for coming, Mermista, it means a lot to me that you’d give up your night to babysit this one.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Anytime,” Mermista laughed, but she squeezed Sea Hawk’s hand in an effort to comfort him. “Come on, let’s get that over with and then maybe we can break in the bed in the room,” she whispered in his ear, her breath puffing over his skin causing him to shiver.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can’t we just go straight to that?” he whined, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her so close that she had to tilt her head back to look him in the eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nope, go talk to your dad. I’ll meet you up there. Give me the room key.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So you can get started without me? No way,” Sea Hawk grinned. “If I have to wait, so do you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fat chance,” Mermista said, pulling the magnetic card out of his back pocket and holding it between two fingers. She pressed a soft kiss to his lips then wriggled out of his embrace. “I packed something special with my stuff, so you better hurry.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He could do this. The weed had him feeling relaxed, and he had the sexiest girl in the world waiting for him to join her in bed after. What could his dad say that was that bad? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I see you grew out of your little phase and started dating women again.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Marcos said you wanted to talk to me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes. I need you to clear your schedule for the weekend of June 12th. You’re required at the Summer Benefit this year.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll see what I can do.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your attendance is </span>
  <em>
    <span>required</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sea Hawk bit the inside of his cheek, carefully considering his response. “Okay. I’m sure Nancy will be fine with that. Anything else?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes. You need to bring a plus-one. I don’t need to be made a fool because my twenty-five-year-old son is not only uneducated and hardly employed, but unmarried, too.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Why did he have to make it so fucking hard? “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Fine</span>
  </em>
  <span>. M-mermista might be in Miami then, I don’t know, I’ll figure it out.” He was starting to stutter and ramble like he did when he was a kid, tripping over his words.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mermista? That blue-haired girl?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, she’s my girlfriend.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No. You’ll bring a </span>
  <em>
    <span>woman</span>
  </em>
  <span> with an appropriate appearance, not a little trailer-park girl who values her appearance over the way she presents herself. Take yourself seriously for once in your life, Sebastian. If you can’t manage to, I’ll find you a date.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sea Hawk gritted his teeth harder at every single word his father spoke, and was grateful that they had stepped into the hallway where they were alone. There’s no way he’d let </span>
  <em>
    <span>anyone</span>
  </em>
  <span> else hear him talk about Mermista this way and not knock him on his smug ass the way he so desperately wanted to right now, peace be damned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It wouldn’t be like he’d want Mermista round all of that bullshit, anyways. If this wasn’t Marcos’ wedding, and she didn’t have the relationship she did with him, he wouldn’t have dragged her here. Maybe it was better off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you understand me, boy?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Yeah</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When he entered the room they were staying in, Mermista was sitting in the center of the huge bed in one of his button-up shirts, her hair damp from the shower and pulled into a ponytail. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They had monogrammed robes made for us,” she announced, amused when he walked in. Sea Hawk didn’t say anything, just kicked his shoes off and started to remove his belt. “That bad, huh?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once he’d stripped down to his boxers in silence, he climbed into bed with her and she held out her arms for him to fall into. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sea Hawk didn’t talk about why he and his dad didn’t get along. It kind of just seemed like his dad was an asshole and that was the end of it, but she knew how drained he would become after an interaction with the man. It was one of the reasons why she wanted to get the room ready for him. She’d rather hold his hand while he talked to his dad, but also knew his dad wouldn’t talk to him with her there, so this was the next best option. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She rubbed his back and held him close until he was ready to talk or fell asleep, whichever he needed right now. What she didn’t anticipate is what he said when he shifted to look up at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know you’re so goddamn perfect, just the way you are, right?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, Bruno Mars.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean it, Mermista. You’re literally the most beautiful person I’ve ever met, inside and out. I can’t believe… I can’t believe how lucky I am to know you, to be able to hold you like this, to be with you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow, this wedding has you feeling some type of way, huh?” When Sea Hawk didn’t respond right away, Mermista scooted down so they were face to face, pressing her forehead to his. “I’m not… good with words like you are,” she admitted. “But I’m… happy I met you, and that we’re together. And I guess you’re kind of hot, or whatever.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I care about you so much, Mermista.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please don’t… don’t change who you are, okay?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not planning to.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He didn’t have the guts to say it to her while sober before, or when they were having sex soon after, but once he was pretty sure she had fallen asleep in his arms, he murmured it into her hair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love you so much.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. One more night</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Stay one more night,” Sea Hawk begs, putting on his best puppy-dog eyes as he sets Mermista’s bag in the back seat of her car and shuts the door. “Please?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mermista had waited until he got home from work to leave, but now she was wondering if she should’ve just gone home before he did so she could avoid this conversation. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I miss my bed,” Mermista said. “And my short drive to school. And Perfuma.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll drive you to school,” Sea Hawk offered, placing his hands on either side of her on the roof of the car. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You have work tomorrow morning.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please? Just one more night?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mermista groaned. “Sea Hawk. You said the same thing yesterday.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can you blame me for wanting to fall asleep and wake up holding my incredibly gorgeous girlfriend?” Mermista rolled her eyes, shaking her head at the same time. She wasn’t, like, </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> enjoying the time she’d spent at his place. His water pressure was better, his mattress comfier, internet faster, and it was nice to have him around most of the time. But she really did miss Perfuma, and sometimes it was nice to not have to worry about sharing a bed with someone. Besides, she needed some time to herself, too.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ll survive one night.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I might not, are you really willing to risk that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re ridiculous.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“One more night?” He caressed the side of her face then moved his hand to cradle the back of her head in it, then leaned forward so his lips were just millimeters away from hers. “Please?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When did it become so hard to say no to him? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ugh, fiiiiiine,” Mermista said, closing the distance between them and giving him a quick kiss. “But I’m going straight home from school tomorrow.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ll see.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And I’m driving myself so you can’t interfere with those plans.” She shoves him away, but he just catches her hand and pulls her with him, laughing and smiling that stupid fucking smile of his that makes her insides melt. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you,” he says, and his lovely eyes are shining as he looks down at her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“For what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“For staying.” He takes the hand he’s holding and presses a kiss to the back of it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, well, your bed is nicer than mine.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is it? I hadn’t really…” he looked over her head, like he was actually trying to remember what her bed felt like. It’s adorable, really, how he will take everything she says so seriously, even when she was just deflecting. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You hadn’t noticed?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I honestly don’t remember what your bed feels like,” he admits. “I’m always just focused on being with you that I guess I never really even… thought about that.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mermista felt her face grow hot. “God, you’re so sappy,” she groaned, pressing her forehead into his t-shirt and hiding the smile that came when his chest vibrates with a laugh. She lets him take her hand and lead her back inside of the townhouse. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mermista hadn’t realized just how distracting it had been, staying with Sea Hawk, until she turns in her third late assignment. The whole point of Ramadan is to dedicate a month to reflection and self-improvement, and as Eid gets closer Mermista realizes she’s not doing the best job. Sea Hawk is very supportive in every way he can be, he doesn’t eat in front of her and he hasn’t slipped up offering her a drink or anything since a few days into the fast. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And as hard as it is to keep his hands off of her, he does his best not to push her too far until the sun sets, and she really appreciates that. The issue is, her best studying also happens after sunset and it feels like she’s trying to do everything at the same time. Really, she can’t blame Sea Hawk </span>
  <em>
    <span>that much</span>
  </em>
  <span>, her grades slip this time every year.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe study right after you wake up to eat?” Sea Hawk offers when she’s venting about it. They’re laying in the bed together, and she’s on her stomach with a book propped in front of her and her head resting on crossed arms. He’s laying on his back, using her butt as a pillow with his laptop propped up on his thighs. How he’s comfortable in this position, she has no idea, but he seems perfectly content. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, but half of the week I have work at 6am. I wish I could just become nocturnal this month,” Mermista complained. She was supposed to be doing Organic Chemistry homework right now, but every time she looked at the equations it felt like her eyes would cross. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Anything I can do to help?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t really know, make me smarter, I guess,” Mermista sighs. “So this shit comes naturally to me.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sea Hawk sets his laptop down, closing it, and moves so he’s straddling Mermista’s thighs. He lays on top of her, putting most of his weight on her, and wraps his arms around her waist. She told him once that it felt kind of comforting to have him lay on her like that, and he seems to know exactly when she needs it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are so smart,” he murmurs into her ear, pressing a kiss to the space below it. “Don’t talk about yourself like that.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’s not expecting a response when he says that, and it’s nice to know these things now. She doesn’t have to excuse herself or apologize. When she exhales, it feels like all of the stress is leaving her body with the air. It really does feel good, having him there, wrapped in his strong arms, feeling him breathe against her back in sync with her, his mustache tickling her neck and the smell of his cologne filling her nose. She wiggles her hips under him, a mannerism she’s pretty sure she picked up from him, because while he already struggles to sit still, he practically vibrates when he’s especially happy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This contentedness is all she really needs, all she could ever want. To be with somebody who not only knows her, but likes her despite all of that. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mermista’s phone goes off, announcing that it’s sunset. Like clockwork, Sea Hawk gets up and runs to the kitchen to get her a big glass of water. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Food should be here soon,” he says, checking his phone as she drinks. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Like, five minutes soon, or?” Mermista asks. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Um… probably twenty or so.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cool.” She closes her book and places it gently on top of his laptop before moving them both to the nightstand, next to her now empty glass. “I’m probably not gonna get any schoolwork done tonight until we eat,” she said, stretching her arms over her head and arching her back until it cracked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>[WARNING: EXPLICIT SEXUAL CONTENT BELOW / skip to next chapter if you don’t wanna read]</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A few inches of her stomach appeared as the material of her t-shirt glided over her chest, a visual that set Sea Hawk on edge. She wore day-old smudged eyeliner, her hair was falling out of what was once a messy bun, and she wore an old high school event t-shirt and a pair of leggings, and she was the most gorgeous woman to ever grace him with her presence. Every night and most mornings they’d fucked or at least fooled around for the last two and a half weeks, and she still managed to turn him on just by existing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shame,” Sea Hawk smirked, abandoning his phone somewhere on the bed and closing the distance between them. “What ever shall we do to pass the time?” He grabbed the hem of her t-shirt with both hands, tugging it over her head before capturing her lips in an intense kiss. She wasn’t wearing a bra, he realized as he cupped one of her fantastic breasts in one hand, gripping the hair at the back of her head with the other, and the realization pulled a whine from deep inside of him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s like he can never get enough of her. It’s not like he wasn’t this way before they made the decision to make things official, but it seemed to just intensify everything. Mermista could always appreciate the way his lips felt against hers, the way their bodies moulded to each other no matter where they were, even when it was soft and lazy at four in the morning. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But it set her nerves on fire when he kissed her like this: hard, hot, and hungry. It’s addicting, the way his hands feel on her body, fingers leaving trails of heat as they glided over her skin. She shifts her hips so she’s sliding onto her back underneath him, and he tilts his head to intensify the kiss, sweeping his tongue into her mouth as he holds her against the mattress with his hips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s like he’s trying to suck the life out of her body, and Mermista is almost surprised that the air between them isn’t crackling the way it does before lightning strikes, because this feeling is electrifying. They could do this all day, every day, and she’d never get tired of the feeling of his skin on hers. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>If Sea Hawk was her match in anything, it was her sex drive. Even in high school, it never quite seemed like enough. The girls she dated would be hit or miss: either they just didn’t have the libido, preferred to receive rather than give, or they weren’t really sure what they wanted. And Mermista isn’t patient, nor is she all that generous when it came to the bedroom, unless she was getting just as much back. The dudes she dated were either only chasing their own pleasure, lacked the stamina or didn’t have the drive themselves to keep up with her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sea Hawk had admirable self control, but fuck if he wasn’t down for it all the time too. And as wonderful as it felt to be on the receiving end in the bedroom, nothing turned him on more than making her come over and over again. Well, maybe when Mermista fucked him with a strap on, but they’re equal levels of hot. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He pulls back just as she needs to breathe, tugging her bottom lip between his teeth as he does and letting it go with a soft little pop that makes her chuckle. Her eyes meet his for only a moment as he takes in her flushed face, his expression softening at the sight of her looking debauched under him. Then he’s gone, pressing his lips to her jaw and nudging her head back so he can scrape his teeth down her throat. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mermista gasps and lifts her hips to his, grinding herself against his hardening member and savoring the soft moan that vibrates from his lips onto her neck. Still, there’s too many layers between them and she pulls his t-shirt off over his head, messing up his hair in the process. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re so fucking sexy,” Mermista whispers as she runs her fingers through his hair, pushing it back as she admires his ink-marked and chiseled chest. He pauses, beaming down at her with the sappiest grin and rosy cheeks, and she realizes she just said what she’d been thinking out loud. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shut up,” she responds, her cheeks burning. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sea Hawk chuckles, pressing a kiss to the tip of her nose and then trailing them down her body, taking his time until he gets to her leggings. Mermista lifts her hips as soon as he slides his thumbs under the waistband, and he pulls them off of her along with her panties in one fluid motion. He takes in the vision of her laying on his bed, hair splayed out like a halo around her head on his pillow, completely nude, and bites his bottom lip as he shakes his head, because he still can’t believe that this incredible, gorgeous and intelligent woman wants to be with him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>You</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” he says, shifting to take his shorts and boxers off, “are so fucking sexy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He doesn’t give her enough time to come up with a response, ducking between her thighs and pressing his lips to her core so fast that all Mermista can do is gasp. He dives right in, shifting so that her thighs are hooked over his shoulders, her calves brushing against the muscles on his back as he runs his tongue up her center. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mmmm,” she sighs as he reaches up to pinch her nipple while swirling his tongue around her clit, and it feels like she’s floating on air as he takes his time building her up until her thighs are trembling against his ears. He hums as he runs his tongue up her folds, flicking it against her clit and savoring the way it makes her gasp.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“S-sebastian--” she chokes out, her back arching, and that’s all the notice he gets before her thighs squeeze against the sides of his head and she cries out as her orgasm hits her, hard and fast. The sound of his name sends shivers down his spine. If Heaven exists, it’s right here in the space between Mermista’s thighs, Sea Hawk decides, pressing kisses to her core as she comes down from her orgasm. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. all the things you do</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Enjoy this chapter! There's a cut for smut, but then the end of the chapter is after the jump. <br/>Also, I'm sorry!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Yesterday was Mermista’s last exam of the semester and she didn’t have to work today, so why was her phone going off at early as shit o’clock? She felt around blindly for it on her mattress, pressing the button that silenced it, then rolled back on her side, burying her face in her pillow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then it went off again. When she flipped it over, the screen lit up with Sea Hawk’s name. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whaaaat,” she groaned after she hit answer and put the phone on speaker. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good morning, gracinha,” Sea Hawk’s voice rang through the speaker, far too cheerful when the sun was just barely creeping through her blinds now. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She responded with another groan, and he followed up with laughter. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Care to join me on an adventure today?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Aw, come on, you didn’t even think about it,” he protested. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s too early to think.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What if,” he said, pausing to think, “it started with coffee?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m going back to bed.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s the door code this week?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“None of your business.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll just come in through the window, then.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t have the energy to stop you, so do whatever you want.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“See you soon!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She fell asleep shortly after the call ended, but it seemed like only a minute later that Sea Hawk was crawling into her bed with his body heat and his too loud voice. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bom dia,” he whispered, pressing a kiss to the back of her neck. “I got you a coffee.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Boa noite,” Mermista murmured, rolling over to bury her face in his chest, inhaling deeply. He smelled like lavender and spice, a new cologne she hadn’t smelled on him before. She sighed happily, throwing a leg around his hips and pulling him closer. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Day is wasting away,” Sea Hawk said softly, rubbing circles on her back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let it,” Mermista responded. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Twenty minutes later, she was riding pillion on the motorcycle, stomach full of strong coffee and the crisp morning air whooshing past them as he steered them out of the city.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Such is the burden of dating the human equivalent of a golden retriever. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mermista had her own helmet and a matching jacket to go with it now, and she was getting a little more comfortable on the back of Sea Hawk’s bike. Most of the time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Misty, it’s okay,” Sea Hawk laughed, louder than the engine, as she tightened her grip around his waist during a particularly sharp turn. She grumbled a response that he only felt as a vibration into his shoulder. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He didn’t use the GPS on his phone once, and that made Mermista nervous. She had no idea where they were, and the route he took was all backroads. It was gorgeous to watch the ocean shores and cliff sides turn into mountains and valleys. After seeing views like this, riding down roads that curved and moved with the landscape rather than cut right through it, Mermista wouldn’t be upset if she never returned to Florida. When you’re used to everything being flat and shades of green and beige, mountains and steep hills with all of their fantastic colors are a sight to behold. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maybe Sea Hawk didn’t know where he was going, but sometimes the adventure was the journey, not the destination. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He did know where they were headed, and he had the day out planned out. A mix of Mermista’s favorite things—a planned destination and a schedule to follow—and Sea Hawk’s: driving her insane with anticipation by keeping it all to himself. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Their first stop was a diner that he found with his brothers a few years back. They had a fantastic brunch menu that he knew Mermista would love. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was still working on her French Toast, which she’d tried deep fried at his (on point) suggestion, when he cleaned his plate of this massive breakfast burrito he’d ordered. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where the hell did you put all of that?” Mermista laughed, taking a sip of her coffee and shaking her head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I definitely have a food baby now, but it was so worth it,” Sea Hawk sighed, closing his eyes and leaning his head back against the wall behind him. “How’s the French Toast?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s so good? I don’t know why they decided to deep fry bread and I’m probably gonna have to, like, eat only kale for the next month to make up for it, but I’m glad I tried it.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m glad,” Sea Hawk said, propping his head up on his fist and looking at her with adoring eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How’d you find this place anyways?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Marcos wanted to be a food critic for a while, so he’d drag me or Tomàs all over the coast to check out little spots like this when he was writing this blog he had.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really? That’s so… different than what he does.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sea Hawk shrugged. “Marcos said it didn’t pay the bills, but I think he stopped doing it because our dad didn’t like it.” He drained his own coffee cup, setting it down on the table a little harder than he meant to. “Still, we have an infinite number of cool restaurants to check out now.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mermista nodded, then offered him the last bite of her French Toast. He opened his mouth and accepted it, smiling as he chewed. “Mmm, just what I needed to fill in the cracks. Please don’t squeeze me on the bike, or I’ll die.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mermista laughed. “I’ll try not to.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Their next stop was a truly massive aquarium that Seahawk had found online. He was a little bit nervous about Mermista being bored because she worked at one, but this one was much bigger than the one in Salineas, and it had an attached botanical garden. His online research found it to have overwhelmingly positive reviews, and the photos of it didn’t quite do the real thing justice. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>To his relief, she loved it. She held his hand as they walked through the halls, and she pointed out all of her favorite creatures, naming their habitats and mentioning some anecdotes she had about nearly all of them. They spent a lot of time watching the otters play together, Sea Hawk holding her from behind as she leaned into him, laughing when two of them began to play fight and fell into the water. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They hold hands when they sleep so they don’t drift away from each other,” Mermista said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah?” Sea Hawk asked, intertwining their fingers and pulling her hand up to kiss her knuckles. “What other cool otter facts do you know?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Their babies can’t swim right away because their fur is too dense,” Mermista said, then pointed out an especially fluffy pup sleeping on its mom’s stomach as she floated on her back. She was grooming it lovingly. “So their parents groom their fur until it’s extra fluffy and can be used as a flotation device.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What the hell, that’s so cool,” Sea Hawk replied in awe. “My girlfriend is so smart,” he bragged, squeezing her tighter and kissed the side of her head while she tried half-heartedly to wriggle away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s just so fascinating to me, how animals form their own communities, and how they’re just living totally separate lives from us humans, you know?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Their next stop was a lake that Sea Hawk had found last summer on a solo-ride. He’d sent pictures of it to Mermista, who was already home in Miami at that point, and she playfully chastised him for going without her. He promised to take her this summer, and he was nothing if not a man of his word. They had taken the bike as far as they could down the dirt path that split off from the main road, and he was walking next to it now as they hiked the rest of the way. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you sure you know where we’re going?” Mermista asked, starting to sound a little exasperated. Sea Hawk still hadn’t told her their destination, and she was getting antsy in anticipation. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think so, I swear it was this direction,” he mused, faking a lack of confidence in his voice. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sebastian…” Mermista groaned, and he fucking laughed in response. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s an adventure without getting lost a little bit along the way?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A quick way to die in the wilderness?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Have a little faith, gatinha, I won’t let you die.” He stopped in his tracks, holding an arm out to stop her, too. “Shh, listen,” he whispered, and Mermista stopped walking and pushed her hair behind her ears so she could hear better. It took a minute, but the sound of running water in the distance caught her attention. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hear that?” She nodded. “We’re close! Come on!” With a new beat in his step, he grabbed her hand and pulled her along until the woods ended, opening up to the view of a gorgeous lake, or perhaps it was just the still part of a river, with shimmering turquoise water. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Woah,” Mermista said, taking in the view as Sea Hawk found solid and flat enough ground to stand the motorcycle up on without it falling over, then pulled a couple of rolled up towels out of the storage compartment in the seat of the bike. The reflection of the massive green trees on the water and the waterfall in the distance gave it a rainforest-like vibe, and the view was simply majestic. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I did some Googling after I found this place,” Sea Hawk said as he helped her jump down some cliff-like rocks that circumferenced the lake, “and people say it’s bottomless.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That can’t be true,” Mermista said, sliding gracefully down the last one, glad that her boots were making this hike easy. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s not, I looked that up too,” Sea Hawk grinned. “It’s about a hundred feet deep in the dead center, along a rift. Most of it’s like, twenty, thirty at most, and there’s like, a good amount of it that’s like the depth of a deeper swimming pool along the edges. But I guess people would come out here and swim decades ago, then disappear and not return from this area. Nobody found their bodies.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did they drown?” Mermista asked anxiously, watching as he sat on the edge of one of the rocks and started taking off his boots and socks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eh, maybe,” Sea Hawk replied. “There’s like, underwater caverns and canyons and cave systems in a lot of the bodies of water down here. So maybe they found a different world or something.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re not going in there,” Mermista said, and she wasn’t asking. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course I am,” Sea Hawk grinned at her as he slipped off his jacket and started to unbutton his shirt. “You should come, too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’ll be freezing,” Mermista said. It was early summer, but she found out pretty quickly that the water up here didn’t warm up like the water in the south did. Not to mention, even in late May it was cool compared to what Mermista was used to, in the high sixties to low seventies. The water would probably be in the low sixties.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nice and refreshing,” Sea Hawk corrected her. “Plus, we’ll get used to it in seconds if we jump in. Come on, what are you afraid of?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Drowning,” Mermista said, wrapping her arms around herself. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re the best swimmer I know,” Sea Hawk said. “Besides, if we stay close to the edge and don’t try to dive, we’ll be fine.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mermista didn’t look convinced, but he just kept removing layers. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on, the ocean is way scarier than this.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t have a swimsuit.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So? Nobody else is here.” He walked up to her, in just his boxer briefs, and pressed his forehead to hers. “I won’t let anything bad happen to you, ever.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can’t promise that,” Mermista frowned. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, but I just did,” Sea Hawk smirked, tilting her chin up with his thumb and pressing his lips to hers softly. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to, I’ll just have to have fun by myself.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mermista unzipped her own jacket, shrugging it off. He took her clothes and added them to his pile as she removed them, setting her shoes next to his. They looked so tiny in comparison, Mermista noted. Once she was in her underwear, he took her hand. “Come on, let’s jump in together.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The water felt like an ice cold slap to the face when they jumped in, and Mermista shrieked when she broke the surface again. Sea Hawk laughed, shaking his head and pushing his hair back, while Mermista’s braids kept hers out of her face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re right, it </span>
  <em>
    <span>is</span>
  </em>
  <span> freezing,” Sea Hawk said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course it is!” Mermista splashed him, laughing. They played, splashing each other, making out and trying to see who could hold their breath the longest, until Mermista decided she wanted to get out for a bit. She wrapped herself in a towel and sat on a rock closest to the lake’s edge, her feet hanging over the edge and still in the water as she watched Sea Hawk burn off some of that seemingly endless energy. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a while, she laid back, relaxed, watching the wind ruffle the leaves in the treetops and letting the late afternoon sun soak into her skin. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you for coming with me today,” Sea Hawk said, swimming up to her. Just below where she was, the lake was shallow enough that he could stand between her legs easily. She sat up and he wrapped his arms around her hips, putting his cold cheek on her thigh and looking up at her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks for taking me on one of your adventures,” Mermista replied, ruffling his hair with the towel. “The PNW is so beautiful, we don’t have views like this in Florida,” she said, staring out over the lake. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, before you got here, we didn’t have views like this,” Sea Hawk said, looking over her figure in admiration before pressing a kiss to her inner thigh as he ran his thumb up the other thigh. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I’m sure there are plenty of better ones,” Mermista scoffed, pinching the skin on her stomach and wrinkling her nose. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nah,” Sea Hawk replied immediately, pushing her hand away and boosting himself up so he could kiss the spot she just pinched. “You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever had the pleasure to behold.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re just saying that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I really wish you wouldn’t think like that.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mermista chewed on her lip in response, averting her gaze to some place over his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because I wouldn’t say it if it weren’t true.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>[WARNING / EXPLICIT SEXUAL CONTENT -- </span>
  <b>SKIP TO THE JUMP</b>
  <span> (NOT THE NEXT CHAPTER) IF YOU DON’T WANT TO READ]</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Mermista didn’t respond, he hooked his thumbs under the waistband of her panties. “If you won’t listen, let me show you just how beautiful I think you are.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What if someone comes by!?” Mermista asked, sounding panicked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Isn’t that what makes it exciting?” Sea Hawk asked, laughing when she shot a glare at him, then pressing a kiss to her panties, looking up at her with those dark eyes. “If nobody has come yet, I doubt anyone will now. We’re in the middle of nowhere.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t protest when he pulled her panties down further, instead shifting her hips to help him along. He grinned, taking them between his teeth and pulling them off the rest of the way. Normally he’d throw them, but he figured she probably wouldn’t care for that in their current situation, so he sat them next to her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He took his time pressing open mouth kissed to her cool skin, below her navel and over her stomach, nibbling her inner thighs as she sighed in response. Moving towards her center, he looked up at her as he ran his tongue up her slit, admiring the way she threw her head back in response, her lips opening ever so slightly as she moaned softly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh,” she whined as he sucked on her clit, and he squeezed her thighs as she hooked her calves over his shoulders, shoving his face deeper into her and shaking his head as he continued to eat her out. She ended up on her elbows, her back arched as she lifted her hips to meet him even closer. “Oh, fuck, that feels good,” she whimpered, and he hummed in response, running his tongue along her entrance before pushing it inside of her. The rest of her skin may have been cold, but she was so slick and warm at her core, and the scent of her was overwhelming as he began to stroke himself under the water. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She made the prettiest noises as he tongue fucked her, shoving his nose into her clit and shivering as her moans went straight down his spine. One of her hands found its way into his hair, and he looked up as she laid down the rest of the way, her gorgeous figure laid out in front of him. She tightened her grip on his hair as she crossed her ankles over his back, trying to pull him closer. He moved up, sucking on her folds as he did, replacing his tongue with a finger, then two, and flicked his tongue over her clit quickly as the sounds of her whines filled his ears. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“S-seb--don’t you--don’t you dare stop!” She commanded as her thighs trembled around his head, and he picked up the pace with his fingers, adding a third as he felt her walls start to tighten around them. Her back arched as she cried out, her hips jolting up as her orgasm rushed over her, and he slowed down his pace until she was relaxed again, panting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sea Hawk pressed one more kiss to her core as she released the grip her thighs had around his head, then ducked under the water to wash his face off before climbing out to join her. Mermista offered him her towel, which was mostly dry at this point, and as he ran it through his hair, she yanked his boxers down. He hissed as the fabric slid over his hard member, but it turned into a groan as she ran her tongue up it and swirled it around his head. He let the towel fall to the ground next to them as he couldn’t focus on anything but the feeling of her warm mouth on him as she took his length into her mouth, and the wet sounds that came from her as she bobbed her head up and down. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mermista caressed his balls in her palm, massaging them gently as she took him deeper, the head of his erection hitting the back of her throat. She shifted her position so she could grip his thigh with the back of her hand, pushing him deeper and moaning softly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gata, Mermista...” A guttural groan finding its way from the back of his throat as she pulled back, a string of saliva connecting the tip of his cock to her bottom lip as she caught her breath. “Gostosa,” he whined, and she smirked before she took him back into her mouth, grabbing his hand and placing it at the back of her head before she smacked his ass hard. The sensation caused him to jolt, pushing his cock to the back of her throat. The way she moaned in response was so fucking hot, the vibration of the sensation shooting electricity up his spine. Then her eyes met his, and he could have come right there as he fell into those honey colored pools. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He pulled out of her mouth with a wet pop, and she licked her lips and fucking smirked at him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t want me to suck you dry?” she teased, and he shook his head with a smirk of his own as he pulled his boxers down the rest of the way, placing them next to her panties before grabbing her thighs. He picked her up and moved her so she was on her back again, the towel under her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He leaned over her, pressing his lips to hers hungrily as she ran her hands down his sides, pulling back with a smile that matched hers. Then he pushed her thighs together folding them over her as he rubbed the tip of his cock between her folds. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh!” Mermista sighed. “Wow, that feels amazing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah it does,” Sea Hawk agreed, squeezing her thighs with both hands as he slid inside of her with a groan, picking up the pace with her satisfied grunts and whines as encouragement. He leaned down to kiss her again, her calves resting over his shoulder as he thrust in and out of her, and she sighed into his mouth. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How are you always so good at this,” Mermista sighed, throwing her head back as he peppered kisses along her jawline and neck. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“All I want is to make you feel good, beautiful,” Sea Hawk replied, pulling out to take a break so he could last longer. He placed a hand on her hip, but she shifted under him, sitting up so she could kiss him deeper. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then she pushed him down, rolling him onto his back and moving to straddle him, giggling in response to his confused yelp at the sudden change in position. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“God, you’re incredible,” he said, sighing as he reached up to squeeze her breast as she sank down on him. She reached back to take off her bra, and he pulled her by the waist so he could press his face between them as she rocked back and forth in his lap. He reached between them, using his fingers to rub her clit, and she sat back so she could feel him as deep inside of her as he could. He lifted his knees so she could lean back against his thighs, admiring the way her curves moved as she rode him, the way her breasts bounced between her biceps as she used them to hold herself steady on his waist. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Having fun?” He asked as she threw her head back, speeding up his pace with his hand and thrusting up to meet her as she cried out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“F-fuck me harder,” she panted hotly, falling forward to kiss him, and he pulled her tightly against himself so he could thrust harder into her from this position. “Yes, yes,” she moaned into his mouth before burying her face into his neck, and he took the opportunity to suck hard on hers as he pulled out and slammed back into her repeatedly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mermista,” he groaned. “I’m gonna--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, come with me!” She cried as she began to shudder, her walls gripping his cock as her orgasm rushed over her like a wave of electricity. One more thrust and Sea Hawk was choking out a moan as he came, his vision blanking out as he emptied himself into her. She fell slack on top of him as they both tried to catch their breaths, and he pressed soft kisses to her throat, and the side of her head as he held her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He never wanted to let her go, but the sky was beginning to darken and eventually they had to head home. </span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>It had started to rain lightly just as they drove into the city limits. It was late now, one or two in the morning, and other drivers were scarce. At a red light, Mermista adjusted her grip on his waist, tightening it as she yawned into his shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your place or mine?” Sea Hawk asked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yours is closer,” Mermista responded sleepily. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The light turned green, and he took off. As tempting as it was to pick up the speed to get home faster, Mermista had just barely become comfortable enough on the bike that she wasn’t digging her nails into his stomach at any little jolt, and he didn’t want to break that trust. With the addition of fresh rain making the oil-slick streets slippery, he went a little slower so he didn’t even risk it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A car pulled out from where it was parallel parked on the side of the street, and he slowed down to put some distance between them. The eerie sound of a car horn echoed in his ears, and he immediately started to apply the front brake. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The car in front of them veered to the left in an effort to avoid another car that ran a red light. Sea Hawk’s first thought was whether or not he had gone over what Mermista should do in the event of a crash when they’re riding together. Yeah, definitely did when he got her the helmet and her riding jacket. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His second thought was that he was about to lose her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They were both wearing protective clothing and their helmets. He couldn’t have been going that fast. There had not been anyone behind him for miles. Everything happened in slow motion. The car that ran the red light rammed into the side of the car that had pulled in front of them with a disturbing metallic crunch. He knew that the speed of impact would be just a little bit slower if he hit both brakes, but he made the split second decision to yank Mermista’s grip from his hip and throw her off of the back of the bike with as much force as he could muster. There was no way falling off of the back of the bike would be worse than crashing into the car, right? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He tried to steer the bike so he slid sideways into the car rather than headfirst, but a flash of light and another disgusting metallic crunch were all he could remember before everything became nothing. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. fractured</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“...the other driver hit my car, but the motorcycle was behind me. I can do basic first aid but we’re going to need an ambulance, he’s unconscious. His passenger got up and ran over to us but she’s—I need to stabilize her, she’s having a seizure. The other driver’s still in the car, I’m sorry, I’m just one person, I know...”</p><p>“...twenty-four-year-old male to trauma two… displaced tibia fracture, colles fracture, metal rod impaled in the leg, significant blood loss, send a trauma panel and type and cross for six...”</p><p>“...twenty-year-old female to trauma four… fractured clavicle, signs of TBI including loss of consciousness and grand mal seizure, disinfect and stabilize the shoulder, order a CT scan and an EEG.” </p><p>
  <em>      Beep…. beep… beep… </em>
</p><p>“He had a passenger? What’s their name? If you can’t tell me that, why even bother telling me he had a passenger? Okay, what do they look like? Shit, okay. No, I don’t have any contact information for her family, but I work at her school, I’m sure I’ll be able to check her records when the office is open and find out. Thank you for letting me know.”</p><p>
  <em>      Beep…. beep… beep… </em>
</p><p>“Should we even tell mom? She’s gonna be so mad.”</p><p>“I know. As soon as he bought that thing she said he was gonna kill himself on it.”</p><p>“Baz? Nah, he’s like a cockroach, nothing can kill him. Remember when we were kids and…”</p><p>
  <em> Beep…. beep… beep… </em>
</p><p>Mermista’s eyes opened and everything was far too bright. </p><p>“Hey, welcome back!” A stranger with long dark hair, dressed in indigo scrubs greeted her enthusiastically. Mermista winced at the sound of her voice, it was too loud, something was beeping loudly in the background, everything was too loud. </p><p>“Where--?”</p><p>“You were in a motor vehicle accident, honey, but don’t worry, we’re going to take good care of you. Can you tell me your name?” </p><p>Mermista squinted as the doctor shined a light in her eyes. “Mermista Varma.” </p><p>“Do you know what day it is?”</p><p>“Um…”</p><p>“That’s okay, it’s late. Do you know what month it is?”</p><p>“May.”</p><p>“Year?”</p><p>“2021.”</p><p>“Can you hold up two fingers on this hand for me?”</p><p>Mermista did as she was told, but all she really wanted was to take a nap.</p><p>“Good, good. Do you remember what happened tonight?”</p><p>“I don’t…” </p><p>“Miss? Miss?”</p><p>“GCS is 13...we need to get her an MRI… vitals are okay, but she’s going in and out of consciousness…”</p><p>
  <em>      Beep…. beep… beep… </em>
</p><p>“See? Look, he’s fine, mom… Marcos is booking you a flight now, yeah… No, mom, we’re not shaving his mustache...”</p><p>
  <em>      Beep…. beep… beep… </em>
</p><p>“Well, look who decided to wake up! Hey, you’re okay, don’t move,” Perfuma said, holding Mermista’s hand.  “How are you feeling?”</p><p>“Like fucking shit.”</p><p>“Yeah, I bet you do. I’ll be right back, okay? The doctor said you need to sign some paperwork if you’re okay with me making decisions on your behalf.”</p><p>“It’s not over?”</p><p>“I’ll be right back.”</p><p>Mermista sighed, flinching as she tried to move her head. She closed her eyes, trying to remember what the hell was going on.</p><p>“Still awake?”</p><p>Mermista opened her eyes as two women, one in scrubs and the other in business attire, walked in with Perfuma behind them.</p><p>“Hi, Mermista. Do you remember me from earlier? We talked a little bit, then you went to sleep.” The woman in scrubs asked.</p><p>“I don’t. I’m sorry.”</p><p>“Hey, that’s okay! You’ve had a rough night. That’s why we want to get your permission to let your friend Perfuma make decisions on your behalf, as well as give her information on your condition if you become incapacitated again.”</p><p>Perfuma smiled at her, and having the warmth of her best friend flow over to her made Mermista feel at ease. </p><p>The other woman introduced herself as a social worker, and explained the process of appointing Perfuma as a Healthcare Proxy. She asked a few questions to determine if Mermista understood the process and had the mental capacity to understand the consequences of the decision. </p><p>“Now, it doesn’t have to be Perfuma, but I understand that your father is out-of-state and—”</p><p>“I trust her. Don’t let me down, ‘Fuma.” Mermista smiled, and Perfuma tapped her leg with a smile of her own. </p><p>“Perfect, can you sign here?” Mermista signed with a shaky hand as the doctor, or the social worker, whichever one it was, held the clipboard for her. “We’re going to go file this, and then I’m going to be back soon with your test results, okay?”</p><p>“Sure,” Mermista said. “Hey, Perfuma, how’d you know I was here?”</p><p>“Sea Hawk’s brother called me, he—”</p><p>Mermista gasped as the memory of the accident came back in bits and pieces. “Sea Hawk! Is he okay!? Oh my God, I couldn’t get to him in time, I—”</p><p>“Hey, hey, hey, he’s alright. Look. Marcos sent me a picture. He’s sedated, but he’s okay. Look. Mermista? Mermista! Doctor!”</p><p>
  <em>      Beep…. beep… beep… </em>
</p><p>Sea Hawk woke up to the sound of steady electronic beeping layered with the sound of his brothers talking quietly in Portuguese. He attempted to sit up and groaned as pain coursed through his body.</p><p>“Oi, oi, where do you think you’re going?” Tomás asked, then grabbed the switch on his morphine drip and pressed it.</p><p>“What happened?” Sea Hawk asked raspily, looking over himself. </p><p>“You crashed your bike, kid,” Tomás said. </p><p>Sea Hawk felt nauseous from the sudden jolt of pain. The IV drip made a small sound and a few seconds later he was starting to feel drowsy again. </p><p>“My bike? Fuck. Mom’s gonna kill me.” </p><p>“She’s just glad you’re okay, we’re flying her up here. She should be here in a couple of hours.” </p><p>Sea Hawk nodded, then lifted his arms a few inches. The right one had an IV attached to it, and the left one was heavily bandaged. “What happened to my arm?”</p><p>Marcos excused himself to go grab a nurse while Tomás tried to go over his injuries.</p><p>“Mermista,” Sea Hawk said suddenly. “Where is she?” </p><p>“She’s okay,” Tomás said. “She’s in the ICU, so they won’t let us see her. But your friend Kyle is working over there, and he told me she’s gonna be okay.”</p><p>“The ICU!?” Sea Hawk’s voice cracked and he winced as he sat up. “What happened? I thought I—I tried to—” </p><p>Tomás grabbed his shoulder and pushed him back into the bed. “Sebastian,” he scolded. “If you don’t relax, I’m going to have a nurse sedate you. You just got out of surgery. You lost a lot of blood, and you’re going to make yourself sick.” </p><p>“Surgery?”</p><p>“Well, you broke your leg and the… the… please don’t make me say it.” Tomás had never been good with gory stuff, and he looked sick to his stomach as he closed his eyes, trying to shake the thought out of his head. </p><p>“Come on dude, you’re a dad, you’ve seen way worse than that,” Marcos said as he strolled in with a nurse following him. “Kickstand went through your leg. Lucky you didn’t crack that big fat head of yours open.”</p><p>“Glad to see you’re awake, Mr. Marinho,” the nurse said politely as Tomás gagged. “You seemed to have taken quite the tumble.”</p><p>“M-Mermista Dubashi, is she okay? Where is she?” Sea Hawk asked, panicked. </p><p>“I’m sorry, who?” The nurse asked.</p><p>“I need to see her!” Sea Hawk shouted, and Tomás shushed him, smacking the side of his head.</p><p>“Sir, he’s had a concussion…”</p><p>“He’s survived worse. Stop yelling.” </p><p>“I need to know if she’s okay, I need to see her, I need to…” Sea Hawk’s face broke, and he began to sob.</p><p>“I know, I know, kiddo.” Tomás pushed his hair out of his face, trying to soothe him. “She’s gonna be okay. Miss, can you sedate..?”</p><p>The nurse nodded, already preparing the syringe.</p><p>“How do you know?” Sea Hawk choked out. “Have you seen her?”</p><p>“We got a hold of her roommate, Perfuma. She’s texting me updates.” Marcos watched as she stuck the syringe in Sea Hawk’s arm, and he didn’t even react. “She’s going to be okay.” </p><p>“Perfuma… she’s gonna… okay...” </p><p>    <em> Beep…. beep… beep… </em></p><p>Perfuma walked into Sea Hawk’s room, grabbing the attention of Marcos and Tomás. She gave Sea Hawk, who was still unconscious, a concerned look. </p><p>“He’s got stitches and I don’t want him to pull them, and he has a history of being impulsive in medical settings, so we’re keeping him doped up right now because he’s panicky,” Tomás explained.</p><p>“Is that okay with his… you know, sobriety?”</p><p>“Yeah. Baz has always been responsible with his painkillers. How’s our girl?”</p><p>“Th-they want to do surgery on her. They said she’s got a lot of pressure on her brain right now and they want to remove part of her skull to relieve it. She’s had… four, mild, I guess, seizures and they’re trying to stop them.” </p><p>“Here, let me see the diagnostic paperwork,” Tomás said calmly. After trying and failing to get ahold of Mermista’s dad throughout the day, he and Marcos had been helping Perfuma out with some of the medical stuff that she really wasn’t prepared for, mostly through text, but she just couldn’t articulate everything over the phone. Marcos had gone to get Sea Hawk’s mom from the airport. </p><p>“Damn, so he really did help her out by pushing her off the bike, at least as far as injuries go. I’m not a doctor, of course, but this head trauma looks pretty bad. Did she remember what happened?” </p><p>Perfuma shook her head. “The only thing she said was that she couldn’t get to him in time.” </p><p>“You know what? I bet she hit her head more than once. Probably at first when it happened, then after she tried to move, passed out from the shock. If it were Baz, I’d okay the surgery. It doesn’t sound super invasive and seizures can be pretty serious.” </p><p>“Okay,” Perfuma nodded, taking the papers back. She turned to leave the room, not wanting to waste any time. </p><p>“Hey, Perfuma?”</p><p>“Yeah?”</p><p>“Let her know we’re all here for her.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. kind of a big deal around here</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>By the end of his twelve-hour-shift, the only thing Kyle wanted was to go home and sleep. Normally he loved his internship, but things got messy when a hurt friend was involved. He wasn’t the most popular guy around, and usually the only two people who kept frequent contact with him were Rogelio and Lonnie. He understood why: he was the quiet guy, a little socially awkward, and he worked a lot between the restaurant and his internship, so he didn’t show up at all the parties everyone was throwing. Right now, though, his phone was blowing up, and it was stressing him out. </p><p></p><blockquote>
  <p>5:42pm <b>Kyle </b>&gt; <b>Rogelio: </b>Perfuma OK’d the<br/>surgery. I’m shutting off my phone, see you<br/>when my shift is over and you get in. Love u.</p>
</blockquote><p>He was just a CNA, and Mermista was a pretty intense case, so Kyle wasn’t really qualified to help her, not when there were doctors and RNs who were familiar with her condition and had nerves of steel to see her through it. And he needed to focus on this patient he was currently helping walk to their physical therapy appointment. Right through the check-in area. </p><p>“What do you mean I’m not authorized without proof? I’m her sister! Why do I need to prove that!?” Kyle couldn’t help but turn his head to the familiar voice, and he caught Glimmer’s eye as she looked around, frustrated. She grinned as soon as she saw him. “Kyle! You can tell her!”</p><p>“I… ah…” Kyle stuttered. Bow looked at him apologetically. </p><p>The older woman he was walking with gave him a pat on his arm. “You know the fairy girl?” She asked, and he nodded apprehensively. “You can go talk to her, Liam. I will wait.” </p><p>“Kyle, tell this woman that I’m Mermista’s sister.” </p><p>Kyle didn’t want to lie to the receptionist, who was always friendly with him and would never forgive him if she found out. </p><p>“You know how it is in the ICU. Only immediate family and healthcare proxies. I’m showing she already has a visitor.” </p><p>“Perfuma’s with Sea Hawk--Sebastian Marinho--he was in the accident with her,” Kyle explained. “Then she’s going to run home to grab some things for Mermista since she’s going to be here at least a week. So, Mermista can have her… sister… visit her.” </p><p>“Oh! She was with the Marinho kid.” </p><p>Everyone who worked at Salineas Memorial knew that surname. There was a plaque in the main entrance lobby that named all donors to the hospital of over ten-thousand dollars, and at the top of the list, embossed in gold, was Marinho Watercrafts. It was one of the reasons why Sea Hawk already had a private room, and his surgery was fast-tracked.</p><p>“Alright, Kyle, I’m going on your word, here.”</p><p>“You can trust me,” Kyle lied, nodding. “But she really can only have one person see her at a time. Bow, you’ll have to stay in the waiting room, and Glimmer--as soon as Perfuma comes back, you need to let her back there.”</p><p>“I understand,” Bow said. “Maybe you can Facetime me?”</p><p>“Yeah, sure,” Glimmer said, looking way too pleased that her half-assed plan worked as she took the visitor sticker from the receptionist and slapped it onto her chest. “I’m sure Kyle wouldn’t mind showing us where her room is, right?”</p><p>“She’s not really in a room,” Kyle said. “The ICU isn’t set up that way, so we can have easier access to the patients. Besides, I’m working.” He nodded towards his patient, who was smiling at them. “So you’re going to have to wait until I get Mrs. Anderson to her physical therapy appointment, or I can just tell you where to go.”</p><p>“Thanks for vouching for me,” Glimmer said, punching his arm lightly as they walked towards the hallway where he’d come from. “Just point us in the right direction, I’m sure we will find it.” </p><p>“Okay. Take that elevator to the third floor and the ICU is straight ahead, Mermista’s on the left side of the floor, kind of in the center. The charge nurse can direct you to her once you’re in there.” </p><p>“Thanks Kyle!” Bow said, clapping him on the back. “Now where’s Sea Hawk’s room? Maybe I’ll check on him once we find Mermista.”</p><p>Kyle gave him the room number, and they parted ways. “Your fairy friend is very feisty, Liam,” Mrs. Anderson said. She’d been confusing him for her grandson and calling him by his name since he’d started there. Sadly, he wasn’t sure her grandson had ever visited her since she’d been here. </p><p>“I know,” Kyle replied, hoping this wouldn’t bite him in the ass. “Let’s get you to your appointment, okay, Mrs. Anderson?” </p><p>“Sure thing, honey. And please! Call me granny! It’s not polite to call your grandma by her last name!” </p><hr/><p>A nurse was changing the dressings on Mermista’s shoulder and hip, where she’d experienced the worst of her road rash, when Glimmer entered. </p><p>“Oh, that’s gross,” was all Glimmer could manage to say as she looked at the wound on Mermista’s shoulder.</p><p>“Yeah, well, it feels as bad as it looks,” Mermista said through gritted teeth. She dropped her head to the pillow, closing her eyes. “Aw, fuck, does everyone know I’m here?” </p><p>“This is good, though,” the nurse said, winking at her. “She can distract you while I do this. Then I’ll get an update on that boyfriend of yours.”</p><p>“Fuck, yeah, dude, talk to me about something, anything, I’m begging you,” Mermista winced as the nurse continued to pull off the dressings. “Tell me about your relationship drama.” </p><p>“Oh! Well, I guess you’ve been so busy with work and exams and almost dying that I haven’t really given you much of an update, huh? I brought it up to Adora, that I felt like she was more invested in Catra than she was with her relationship with me. She said that she couldn’t disagree, so we broke up.”</p><p>“I’m sorry,” Mermista said, then sucked air through her teeth as the nurse pulled off the last of the dressing. “That kind of sucks. But it doesn’t sound like it was messy, so that’s cool. Have you talked to her since?”</p><p>Glimmer wavered. “We’ve been keeping some distance, I think that it’s the best for now. I know she and Catra are like, together, together.”</p><p>“And you and Bow?”</p><p>“We’re good. He wants to facetime, maybe when this is over?” </p><p>The nurse asked her to stay very still while she applied the antiseptic cream, so as not to move her broken collarbone around too much. She gave Mermista an extra dose of morphine from the IV attached to her arm.</p><p>“Yeah, turns out broken collarbones, like ribs? You just deal with them. You can’t have them in a cast or anything,” Mermista said, sounding sleepy now. “They want to crack my head open,” she added. </p><p>“<em> What </em>?” Glimmer exclaimed. “Why!?”</p><p>“Dunno, Perfuma said so,” Mermista said, then her eyes shot open. “Have you seen Sebastian? Is he okay?” </p><p>“I haven’t yet, darling, but I’m going to check on him as soon as we’re done here, okay?” The nurse said as she started dressing the wounds again. </p><p>“Glimmer. Can you tell him I know it wasn’t his fault? I saw the car crash in front of us. He’s probably beating himself up over it.” </p><p>“Of course I can. Bow’s going to see him later, too, they said he was stable. Perfuma saw him, too.”</p><p>“Perfuma? She’s getting me a change of clothes.”</p><p>“Are you okay?” Glimmer asked, not liking the way Mermista’s eyes were starting to glaze over.</p><p>“She’s on a lot of pain medication, and she’s had a few seizures. That’s why they’re doing the craniotomy on her,” the nurse explained in a low voice. “She’s going in and out of consciousness because of the pressure on her brain, which is why she’s not really making all that much sense. The collarbone and road rash are one thing, but she’s got bruises all over her back and side from when she fell off the bike. Not to mention what I can only imagine is a massive headache.” </p><p>“That’s awful,” Glimmer said. “Wasn’t she wearing a helmet?”</p><p>“They cut one off of her, yeah. But it was kind of like… the best thing I can compare it to is the way a football player can get a concussion on impact with another player on the field? She hit her head that hard, then got up and fell, hitting it again. In sports medicine it’s called Second Impact Syndrome, which can be fatal. Hers isn’t<em> that </em>serious, based on the MRI results, which is why she’s okay to rest while we wait for the neurosurgeon to become available.”</p><p>Glimmer nodded. “To be honest, all of this medical stuff goes over my head,” she admitted. “But you think she’s going to be okay?” </p><p>“Oh yeah!” The nurse said brightly. “She seems like a fighter. Earlier she was talking about kicking her boyfriend’s ass when she got out of here. Then we found out he’s one of the Marinho kids, and they’re kind of a big deal around here, so I got bits and pieces of his diagnosis through the grapevine. I was able to tell her that he had a concussion of his own, to cut him some slack, and I guess she’s feeling a little more sentimental right now. Now that I’m done here, I am going to go check on him though.”</p><p>“Tell him I love him,” Mermista murmured.</p><p>“Maybe don’t do that,” Glimmer began to laugh, then reached forward to push Mermista’s bangs out of her face. She was sleeping again, now that she didn’t have the pain of her dressings being removed to keep her up. </p><hr/><p>“This is all my fault! She hates the motorcycle, and now I have ruined her life,” Sea Hawk wailed, dejected. They’d adjusted the bed so he could sit up, and both Marcos and Tomas were gone now. Marcos was waiting for his mom at the airport, and Tomas had to pick up his kids from daycare and drop them off at their dad’s house. Gracia was visiting her sister in Texas, so he had a lot on his plate. The university’s semester being over was a blessing. </p><p>Rogelio had come by before the start of his evening shift, and as soon as Kyle updated him on what was happening with Mermista, he came down to explain everything that was going on so far. “I know it sounds serious, but it’s not that serious of a surgery.”</p><p>“Not that serious?! She’s having brain surgery! Because of me!”</p><p>“It’s like they’re letting the air out of an overinflated tire, they just need to make the space for the air to come out,” Rogelio continued. “They’re not really touching her brain, they’re just opening her skull a little.”</p><p>“How can you act so casual when you say shit like that?” </p><p>“My internship’s focus is in the OR, and it’s a routine surgery, dude,” Rogelio said. Knowing Sea Hawk’s history with chest injuries, his overall level of anxiety, and just how much he cared about Mermista, Rogelio’s main goal right now was to stop him from having a panic attack that could make his injuries worse or cause new ones. “Kyle said he was able to take a look at her charts and the doctors who have spoken with her have said she’s coherent, both before and after the seizures. This is just to hopefully stop them from continuing or getting worse. We have one of the best Neurosurgeons in the state doing the operation, and I’ll try to stop by when she’s in recovery to give you an update.”</p><p>“When can I see her?” Sea Hawk asked, practically begging at this point. </p><p>“I’m sure you’ll be able to see her sometime tomorrow.”</p><p>He was trying to calm Sea Hawk down, but he saw the way his chest was rising and falling rapidly, and he was breathing way too hard. </p><p>“Sea Hawk, I need you to—do you want a sedative?”</p><p>Sea Hawk moved his bandaged left arm over his chest, leaned forward and started coughing hard between short and labored breaths. He was shaking his head, but his face was getting red. </p><p>“Hey, hey, hey, sit back, sit back,” Rogelio commanded. He pressed the call button on the bed rail, alerting an RN to the room. </p><p>“What’s going on? Oh, Rogelio, I didn’t know you knew the Marinho kid,” the RN said as he rushed in. </p><p>“Family friend,” Rogelio explained as he lowered the bed back, holding onto Sea Hawk’s shoulder as he did. “He was hyperventilating and now he’s having labored breathing. I know that he’s broken his ribs before at least twice. Given that, the crash, and his height and weight, I wonder if maybe he’s got a collapsed lung?”</p><p>The RN nodded, then used a stethoscope to listen to Sea Hawk’s chest. “Sounds like it, good thinking, Rogelio. He’s relatively stable so we should be able to get an X-Ray to confirm before we do anything serious, in the meantime, are you even working right now?”</p><p>Rogelio grinned. “My shift doesn’t start for another hour or so. But I’ve been patching this guy up for years, bro bono, I’m not worried about it.” </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. come back to me</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“I leave the kid alone for two hours, and he collapses his own lung? I swear, I feel like I’m herding cats with these brothers of mine,” Tomás complained as soon as he met Rogelio in Sea Hawk’s empty room and heard the news. “Tell me Mermista’s doing okay?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She’s in surgery now, too,” Rogelio said. “Who knows, maybe he timed this so he could see her in the hallway.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I swear, if that’s why he did that shit…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, hey, Tomás, I’m kidding. He was hyperventilating. When you’re tall and thin like the two of you are, and have had as many chest and rib injuries as Sea Hawk has, well… it’s still not common, but all odds were against him here. If it didn’t happen at the time of impact, it still could have happened now.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“At least it’s not brain surgery, that poor girl,” Tomás sighed. “I really like her for him, you know? She’s been good for him. He’s not the same boy he was before he met her. The sobriety, he’s not taking as many risks, I mean… you know, you see it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, she really has been. And she’s way better than his exes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If… if something happens to her, I can’t even imagine what it will do to him. I wonder if he’ll talk to Francisco after all this...” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rogelio nodded. “Since you mention it, I’ve been thinking of stepping out, too. I’ve been lucky, we all have. But I’m working here now, and they’re talking about paying for med school if I get in. I don’t want to throw all that away for money."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think that’s a good idea,” Tomás said. “Look, look, you probably need to get back to work. I’m okay to stay here while he’s in surgery, right? Or do you need this room?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rogelio scoffed. “You know this hospital isn’t going to give up Sebastian Marinho’s room.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, hey, listen, I don’t want to assume…” Tomás grinned, settling down on the couch in the corner of the room and pulling his laptop out of his bag. He had exams to grade. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The next morning, Sea Hawk’s mom burst into his room no later than 7:01am, when visiting hours began. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My baby!” She rushed over to Sea Hawk’s side and grabbed his face, abruptly waking him from a drug-enhanced sleep. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“M-mom, what are you...?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Morning, mom,” Tomás said, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. Marcos strolled in a moment later, yawning, then plopped down on the couch where Tomás had been sleeping.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What did I tell you when you bought that motorbike! And look what happened to you!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know mom, I’m sorry…” Sea Hawk looked over at his brothers, who were both avoiding eye contact and smirking at his predicament. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You should be elevating this leg more!” She tutted, grabbing the pillow from under his head and moving it so it was under his leg, and Tomás leaned forward to adjust the bed so he could sit up. His mom continued to scold him for what felt like a lifetime. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not to mention you got your beautiful girlfriend involved! Why would you do something like that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sea Hawk’s face fell. “Tommo said she’s, he said she’s fine?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tomás got up and grabbed his mom’s arms, moving her so she was sitting where he had been. “Mom, don’t do that to him. It wasn’t his fault, he’s already beat himself up over her enough.” He turned back to Sea Hawk, holding out his phone. “And she </span>
  <em>
    <span>is</span>
  </em>
  <span> fine. Look.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sea Hawk took Tomás’ phone, reading over the text messages from Perfuma. No pictures, but all of the news was good. His lung surgery had been so late in the evening that all he could do once he woke up from it was go back to sleep. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rogelio said you might even be able to see her today, depending on how your recovery from the thoracostomy goes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I need to see her today,” Sea Hawk said soberly. “I need to.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, if we can’t get you over to her, we’ll set up a facetime or something.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A nurse came in then, greeting everyone and checking on Sea Hawk’s vitals. She also changed the bandages on his leg, double checking the sutures where the kickstand was removed and the surgery was performed to reset his leg. “Your chest is still draining liquid, so the tube needs to stay in there a little longer. But everything else looks really good. Chances are, we’ll get you in an aircast in a few days, get you walking on some crutches, and out of here in a week.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“When can I see Mermista?” Sea Hawk asked, hopeful. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re going to need a doctor’s clearance before we start moving you around too much, especially with the sutures in your leg, and the chest tube. Most likely they won’t want you moving until the chest tube is taken out, and that’s dependent on how long fluid keeps draining from it. ” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sea Hawk sighed, but he nodded. “Okay,” he said softly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow, someone’s way calmer than he was yesterday,” Marcos said. “You ask the nurse to put xanax into his IV?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just don’t want to do anything to hurt myself further accidentally, add to everyone’s stress. Mom, sorry you had to take time off of work to come out here. And you guys, too.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t take time off, I brought my work with me,” Tomás said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s state testing time, anyways, honey, I’d rather have a sub deal with it,” his mom said, placing her hand gingerly on his arm. She had pulled up the reclining chair in the corner of the room to his bedside, and it was clear she had no intentions of leaving. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And you know me, I make my own hours,” Marcos grinned. “No matter what, you’re always gonna be our baby brother, of course we’re gonna be here with you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you or Perfuma have any luck getting ahold of Mermista’s dad?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcos shook his head. “If Perfuma has, she hasn’t updated us.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sea Hawk sighed. “That’s the worst part of this all. Her mom left when she was little, and the rest of her family lives in India. Her dad’s the only person she’s really got, and he’s just… nowhere to be found? That’s so fucked up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s not true, Baz. She’s got Perfuma and her other friends who have been driving the nurses crazy, she’s got you, she’s got two older brothers now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And a mother, if she wants one,” his mom added. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yet here you all are with me,” Sea Hawk said, with a sarcastic laugh. “And the only place I want to be right now is with her.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because Perfuma’s with her, and the ICU only allows one guest at a time. She’s not alone. Perfuma spent the night here.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rogelio came in hours later with an update, a nervous looking Kyle in tow. “So, she had another seizure on the table. They stabilized her and everything is fine now, but she’s in a—and Sea Hawk, I need you to listen to me—</span>
  <em>
    <span>very safe and very routine—</span>
  </em>
  <span>medically-induced coma so her brain can have a break.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How long?” Sea Hawk managed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They’re estimating two, three days tops before they wake her up from it. It’ll give you time to focus on your own recovery. The good news is, she’s moving out of the ICU and into a regular room, and I bet you guys could pull some strings and have the two of you in a shared room. But I need you to understand that if you interfere with her recovery in any way, they’re gonna boot you back into your own room.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why would I do that?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not saying you’ll do it on purpose, but you’re… you… so…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, okay, I got it.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Also, prepare yourself because she has a lot of tubes and stuff attached to her, a lot of monitors… monitoring things, it’s not pretty.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nothing in the world could ever make her not pretty,” Sea Hawk said. “If we can do that, I don’t know how I could repay you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure we can work something out.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Even with the mental preparation, Sea Hawk still teared up when he saw her. She was hooked up to a ventilator, and looked so small on the hospital bed, surrounded by machines with a bandage wrapped around her head and her left arm pinned to her chest by a sling. Someone, Perfuma, probably, had clipped her bangs back with colorful butterfly clips, and she was covered by a colorful knit blanket that Sea Hawk remembered from her apartment. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can I touch her?” He asked the nurse who had pushed him in in his wheelchair. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can while I set up your bed. We just need to make sure you’re elevating that leg again as soon as possible. There's a good chance she can hear you if you talk to her. It’ll probably be good for her to hear your voice.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She pushed him up to the side of her bed, and he grabbed her free hand with his good one, pulling it up to kiss her knuckles. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mermista, I’m so, so, so sorry, gatinha. I swear I’m gonna make all of this up to you, so please, come back to me.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0024"><h2>24. in limbo</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Count back from 10,” the anesthesiologist told Mermista as she placed a plastic mask over her mouth and nose. The last thing Mermista saw before everything went black was her plastic name badge, adorned with a big yellow smiley face sticker. She got to 9. Things were quiet for a while, then there were all of these flashing lights like a fireworks show going off in her head. Loud, repetitive  beeping noises were on the verge of driving her insane, and then they were gone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was going through the motions now: work, school, homework, eat, sleep, repeat. Sometimes she’d get in her car and end up losing time, ending up somewhere that felt familiar but she couldn’t put a name on it. Then she was back in her bed again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Glimmer was trying to give her a lobotomy, and Bow was her assistant in the surgery. Mermista tried to tell them she didn’t want one, but they acted like they couldn’t hear her. They were laughing at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A woman dressed in blue scrubs with a syrupy sweet voice was trying to kill her. Her hands were freezing as they wrapped around Mermista’s throat, and Mermista tried to pry them off, but she couldn’t move her hands. It was becoming harder and harder to breathe, and then things were normal again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>More time passed. She was on a boat, she was pretty sure. She’d never been on a boat before, but the way that everything around her was rocking, that had to be what it felt like. Or maybe she was floating on her surfboard, but if she was, she wanted to stand. Why couldn’t she stand?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sea Hawk was holding her, and everything was alright. She felt her whole body relax as he talked to her. He was apologizing, and she wanted to comfort him back, tell him she didn’t blame him, that it wasn’t his fault, but her mouth was full of cotton. She wanted to squeeze his hand, but then he let go. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was never too far away though, but everything he said was in Portuguese. She wanted to talk to him, but how could he understand? She couldn’t speak Portugese. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her friends were there, and then they weren’t. And people kept coming in, introducing themselves, but she couldn’t remember their names. Somehow they always knew hers. They would tell her what they were doing, but it was like she could only hear every other word. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Throughout everything Sea Hawk was there, and she wanted to anchor onto his voice so she could get off of the boat. She wanted to thank him, and maybe if she could get the cotton out of her throat…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sea Hawk did </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> want her to do that. He yelled and pulled her hand away, then yelled some more until the woman who wanted to kill her came back and choked her again, but it felt like she was doing it backwards this time. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Why was he working with her?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She forced a glare at him, and the look on his face was so startled and shocked that she wanted to laugh, but then his eyes were watery and his expression melted, and she didn’t like that at all. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Things were quiet, and then her friends voices were there, far away and muffled. She focused hard, and eventually realized they were talking about summer plans, and she remembered that she wanted to invite them to Miami for a weekend if they wanted to come down there while she was visiting her dad.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mermista followed the sound of Glimmer’s loud voice and blinked as she came to, a somewhat familiar face in her blurred field of vision. “D-dad?” she asked, her voice raspy and soft from lack of use. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“N-no?” Bow asked, sitting back in his chair, glancing at Glimmer. “I’m not ready to be a dad!” he whispered. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bow!” Glimmer rolled her eyes at her boyfriend. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How are you feeling?” Perfuma asked, leaning towards Mermista and putting a hand on her arm. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thirsty,” Mermista replied raspily, looking around. “Is there any water?”  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course, Bow, can you grab that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bow got up from where he was sitting, grabbing the ice water that Sea Hawk had been drinking before he left to test drive his new crutches. He figured Mermista wouldn’t mind sharing with him. Perfuma pressed a button on the bed so Mermista could sit up easily. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where’s Sea Hawk?” Mermista asked after she drained the cup, leaving only ice. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He just stepped out, he’ll be back soon.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh. Okay.” Mermista didn’t bother trying to hide the disappointment in her voice. It was wonderful to see her friends around, sure, but she only wanted to see one face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you remember what happened?” Perfuma asked as Mermista cleared her throat, sounding much better now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t… maybe… just… fuck, my head hurts.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I bet it does, you’ve been in a coma for fifteen years!” Glimmer exclaimed, and Mermista’s brows furrowed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“GLIMMER! GET! OUT!” Perfuma hissed, grabbing her by the shoulders and shoving her out of the room. “They said </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> to do that! Make yourself useful and get a nurse.” She turned back to Mermista. “That’s not true, it’s only been three days.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mermista snorted, closing her eyes again. “How is it that I wake up from a coma and still only want to take a nap?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just means nothing’s changed,” Perfuma said brightly, folding her hands together and leaning forward on her elbows. “Though I imagine you’re probably tired from trying to rip your ventilator out with one arm.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I did that?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, the nurse ended up taking it out all the way afterwards, and you were supposed to have it removed the next day anyways, but… I guess you got impatient in the middle of the night, and Sea Hawk had to save you from yourself.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mmm, he did? I love that man…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I-I love you, too.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mermista’s eyes snapped open, and Sea Hawk was standing at the edge of her hospital bed, leaning on crutches, with the biggest, dumbest grin on his face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mermista looked around at her friends: Bow, who was staring at her in awe, Perfuma, who was grinning, and Glimmer, who was smirking with her arms crossed. She landed on the nurse who trailed him in. “Can you put me back in the coma?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nope, can’t take it back now,” Sea Hawk chuckled, maneuvering over to her side on the crutches.  Bow vacated the chair he was sitting in, taking Sea Hawk’s arm to help him sit down. “Can we have a minute?” He asked, looking around at their friends. Tomás, Marcos and his mom had already gone home for the evening, and he felt kind of bad kicking her friends out because visiting hours were about to be over, but he needed this. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, of course,” Bow said. “Actually, we were going to have dinner with my dads tonight, so I think we should head back anyways. I’m super glad you’re awake, Mermista!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Me too!” Glimmer agreed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks, guys.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Perfuma stood awkwardly at the end of the bed for a moment. “Scorpia and I had something planned, too, actually…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Go, I’m fine,” Mermista said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Love you, girl, I’m so glad you’re awake. I’ll bring Scorpia by tomorrow!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Me too. Can’t wait.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just need to check on your vitals, and do some tests, if that’s okay,” the nurse said after everyone left. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, don’t let us get in the way of your work,” Mermista said, before turning back to Sea Hawk. “What happened to you?” She took his hand with the splint on it gently, running her fingers down it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t remember?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mermista shook her head. “I remember swimming with you and then… waking up here.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We got into an accident on the way home. Someone ran a red light and hit a car in front of us and I’m… I’m so sorry, gatinha, I couldn’t stop in time.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why are you sorry? Looks like you got the brunt of it,” Mermista said, looking down at herself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mermista… you just woke up from a coma. You had brain surgery.” Sea Hawk was tearing up again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mermista reached up to touch the side of her head, and the nurse stopped her. “It’s not good to touch the sutures,” she warned. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, okay, sorry…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just need to ask you some questions and test your reactions to a few things,” the nurse announced. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sea Hawk watched closely as she examined Mermista, testing her memory and reflexes. He didn’t realize he was holding his breath until the nurse gave her an all clear, and he let out a sigh of relief. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Overall, how do you feel?” The nurse asked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I feel okay, except for this headache,” Mermista said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ve got another CT scan for you in the morning to be sure, but it isn’t uncommon to have a lingering headache after surgery. In the meantime, I’ll give you something for the pain. Let me run and grab the Physical Therapist before she leaves for the night, and we can remove your catheters and get you walking around.” Mermista wrinkled her nose at the word catheter, but nodded all the same.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>After the nurse left the room, Mermista threw her good arm around Sea Hawk’s neck, pulling him close, and he wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was so scared I was going to lose you,” he said into her shoulder. “I’m never letting you out of my sight again.” </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0025"><h2>25. you're an idiot</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“It’s almost 7, that nurse is going to yell at you again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let her.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mermista made no effort to move from her position in Sea Hawk’s arms. Sure, the hospital bed was a little cramped, but it only gave her more reason to squeeze him closer. He had his splinted leg thrown over her hip “to keep it elevated” and his braced hand was pushed up under her shirt while he rubbed circles on her back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love you, I love you, I love you,” he murmured into her hair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shhh,” Mermista replied, burying her face in his neck.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t, you opened up Pandora’s box and I’m never gonna stop saying it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re an idiot.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You love me,” Sea Hawk said, gently taking her chin in his hand so he could look her in the eyes. His soft expression made her face burn. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I do, so don’t make me regret it,” she said, pressing her lips to his. She started out softly, then leaned into it, and he sighed as he relaxed into the bed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The lights flicked on, followed by the sound of someone clearing their throat. “If I find the two of you in the same bed again tomorrow morning, I’m moving you, Sebastian,” the nurse warned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“See, told you to go back to your bed before we got caught,” Mermista said, sitting up as she watched Sea Hawk maneuver himself between the beds. Despite his injuries, he’d gotten pretty good at hopping between their beds, especially since his bruising was mostly gone now. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t remember that,” Sea Hawk grinned. The nurse rolled her eyes. Mermista liked her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How’s your head feeling?” She asked as she logged into the computer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know, not that bad,” Mermista said thoughtfully. “I’d say right now my collarbone and arm feel worse.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m gonna dose you with some extra pain meds so the nursing assistant can come redress your arm in about an hour,” the nurse said. Mermista had been getting a steady drip of morphine for her head and collarbone, but getting the road rash redressed was still agonizing. Sea Hawk managed to avoid getting much road rash himself, but the incisions on his leg and side from his surgeries were a different kind of painful. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mermista hated how sleepy the morphine made her, especially when the sleep wasn’t even good. It was one of the reasons why Sea Hawk crawled into bed with her the first night—as soon as he heard her readjust the third time, he started figuring out how to move over without pulling out his IV or stepping on his bad leg. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t have to, the bed is small,” Mermista protested, but he just shushed her and brushed her hair away from her neck so he could press his lips to it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She turned to him, ever so gently so as not to hurt him. Her eyes were heavy lidded as she traced a cut on his cheekbone, moving her fingers down his jawline, wrinkling her nose. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re all stubbly,” she said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Haven’t had much opportunity to shave here, princesa,” Sea Hawk grinned, then took her face and rubbed his stubbly cheek against hers, causing her to laugh before she captured his lips with hers. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you mean it?” She asked, running her fingertips down his shoulder, over his bicep and down to his arm where the wrist brace was. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mean what?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What you said earlier.” She chewed on her lip, eyes focused downwards for a moment before she fixed her gaze on his eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That I love you? Of course I do,” he said softly. “I think I’ve… I’ve loved you for a while, Mermista.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love you, too,” Mermista said, running her fingers back up his arm as she looked down at his lips. “It’s terrifying.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Later in the day, Perfuma and Marcos came by with new phones for both of them. “They managed to transfer all of your stuff over, Mermista, but Baz, yours was lost to the void.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shit, I guess I need to call my dad,” Mermista said after she thanked him.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We tried to,” Perfuma said, “but the number I had wasn’t working.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He was in India for a wedding until like…” Mermista checked the date. “Yesterday he should have been home. It’s like, seven pm there, right? Hopefully he’s out of work already.” She frowned when he didn’t answer, rolling her eyes as she hung up after leaving a quick message. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, Mermista,” Sea Hawk said softly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s fine, I’m sure he’s either working or probably at a bar or something.” It wasn’t like she wasn’t used to him being unreachable at times, but especially now she really just wanted to hear his voice. She loved Sea Hawk’s family, and they’d been in and out of their room since before she woke up, making sure they were both okay and doting on her as much as they did Sea Hawk. It was nice. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But it wasn’t her dad. And despite him definitely not knowing what had happened, she couldn’t help but feel like he didn’t give a shit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m pretty tired, actually, I might try to take a nap or something…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sea Hawk frowned, but Marcos and Perfuma nodded. “Okay, we just wanted to stop by and drop these off, anyways,” Marcos said. He nodded towards the door and Perfuma followed, squeezing Mermista’s leg before she left. One of them flipped off the lights. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gatinha--” Sea Hawk began. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shh, I’m going to sleep,” Mermista replied quickly, turning her back to him and grateful it was her left collarbone that was broken so she could face away from him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh--okay.” </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0026"><h2>26. blame game</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Mermista’s dad ended up calling in the middle of the night that night. She yawned as she reached over for her phone, trying but failing to avoid waking Sea Hawk up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hello?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mimi! Hello, my sweet daughter,” her dad said, sounding more awake than she was used to hearing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can I call you back later? It’s like, 3am here.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh! I’m sorry, Mimi, I forgot about the time change. I just woke up for work.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay. When is your break? I’ll call you then.” Sea Hawk pressed his lips to her shoulder. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Noon-ish!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, dad, love you. Goodnight.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Goodnight, beta!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your dad sounds so nice,” Sea Hawk murmured into her shoulder after she hung up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He is,” Mermista said. “I’m a little sad I’m not gonna go home this summer, now.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re not?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No point, I can’t lifeguard with this,” Mermista tapped the shaved part of her head, motioning towards her sutures. “The doctor said I should avoid driving or being near bodies of water for like a month in case I have another seizure. And you’re gonna need help with that broken leg, so I figured…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Aw, gatinha. I appreciate it, but you don’t have to worry about me,” Sea Hawk said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know. But I just… I can keep working at the aquarium, I can’t really afford to stop working after this, my health insurance isn’t that good.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, sweetheart, don’t worry about any medical bills. I have insurance and it covers passengers, too. Besides, the guy the drunk driver hit is suing the shit out of him and we can, too. Even if that wasn’t the case, I wouldn’t let you pay medical bills for something that’s mostly my fault.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mermista scoffed. “Stop blaming yourself, none of it was your fault.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If we were in the car it wouldn’t have been as bad.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, but we weren’t, and you can’t help that.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sea Hawk sighed. “You know, I just keep thinking, like, that dude could have been me last year. And I feel so fucking awful, that I could have caused someone so much pain, not only like, this--” he motioned over their injuries-- “but how I felt thinking I might lose you, that you wouldn’t wake up or something… I can’t stand it.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mermista turned onto her back so she could look at him, placing her hand on his cheek. “You changed, though. You stopped drinking. You stopped driving drunk. Fortunately, you didn’t cause a tragedy. All you can do now is make sure you’re never in the situation where you might.” He leaned in to kiss her, softly, and she smiled, pushing his hair out of his face. “It’s one of the things I admire about you the most. How when you put your mind to something, you do everything you can to get it.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I did it because I wanted to be someone you could be proud of,” Sea Hawk said softly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I am proud of you. I know it wasn’t easy.” Mermista traced his jawline with her thumb, stopping with it on his bottom lip. “You know, the stubble is starting to grow on me.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sea Hawk grinned. “Want me to keep it? I haven’t tried to grow a beard since high school, it came in all patchy back then.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mermista shrugged one arm. “That’s all you, dude. You’re the one who has to wear it on your face.“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, but you have to look at it,“ Sea Hawk said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t imagine it will make you worse to look at,” Mermista replied with a mischievous grin. Sea Hawk pouted, and she laughed in response.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t forget that you’re getting discharged tomorrow,“ Mermista said. “Still, I set an alarm to wake you up before the nurse comes in.“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sea Hawk frowned. “Don’t remind me, I’m so mad that we’re not getting discharged the same day.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry about it,” Mermista said. “Just one more day of monitoring and they’re gonna let me go home, too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Since you’re staying here anyways, would you… be upset if I asked you to come home with me, instead of going back to your apartment?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mad? No. Confused? A little.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just… don’t want anything to happen and not be there for it.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you gonna do, hobble over to me and call 911?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m serious.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know you are… I mean, I guess I can do that.” Mermista yawned, turning her back to him and leaning against his chest. “Let me think about it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” Sea Hawk said, closing his eyes as put his arms around her, careful not to bump her arm. “Goodnight, gatinha.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Goodnight, babe.”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>When Mermista called her dad, he thankfully picked up on the second ring. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, beta, I don’t have a lot of time,” he said, sounding a bit out of breath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, I just wanted to check in, make sure you got home okay, really,” Mermista said. “And there’s something I need to tell you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s wrong?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t make a big deal out of it, but I got into an accident,” Mermista said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You what?! What kind of accident?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A-a car accident. I’m fine though. I just broke my collarbone and hit my head…” How do you break it to your dad that you had brain surgery? “And I had a seizure, and now they want to monitor me for the next month or so to make sure I don’t have another one.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So that means… you’re not coming home?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, dad.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, too. Are you sure you’re okay, Mimi? Was it your car?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No it was a—” Mermista watched Sea Hawk as he walked on his crutches from the bathroom back to his bed. “It was my boyfriend’s motorcycle.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She pulled the phone away from her ear just in time for him to yell and curse, and Sea Hawk raised an eyebrow at her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“When did you get a boyfriend!? I don’t want you going on any motorcycles anymore, you understand me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, trust me, I won’t be!” Mermista said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And the boyfriend? Ah, I will talk to you later honey, I’m sorry. I have to go back to work. But don’t think this conversation is over!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know. Okay. I love you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love you too, Mimi.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sea Hawk exhaled loudly. “That didn’t sound too good.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mermista nodded. “Tell me about it. He always acts so tough and stuff about me dating but he’s never really cared when it happened, so I’m not worried about that. I think he’s just more scared than anything.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Sea Hawk was discharged, he faltered between just staying the night at Mermista’s side and going home to take care of things with the business. Mermista ended up enlisting Catra to stay the night, since she could only have one visitor and needed a reason to send him home. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m gonna be here with Marcos to pick you up tomorrow,” he said, leaning on one crutch as he leaned over and kissed her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know, you already told me like fifty times,” Mermista laughed. “Go home.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Love you too. Go!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Catra pretended to stick her finger down her throat. “Don’t expect me to share your bed tonight,” she warned after Sea Hawk left with his mom. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, I wasn’t. Don’t need you trying to cuddle up to me again,” Mermista retorted, raising an eyebrow. “And what would Adora say?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pfft, hard to say with her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How did she react when Glimmer decided to leave?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Catra shrugged, spinning around in the reclining chair so she could look out the window. “She didn’t say much of anything, really. If she was hurt about it, she didn’t tell me.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mermista nodded. “Do you need to talk about it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nah,” Catra said. “You and I both know I only wanted Adora. Glimmer was a nice perk, but…” She trailed off, studying her nails as she settled back into the chair. “Anyways, she seems happy that Glimmer and Bow are together now. Either she knew something that I didn’t know, or she’s pretending not to care.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just don’t want any drama.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know that feeling.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you gonna do all summer, now that you can’t swim or surf?” Catra asked, changing the subject and focusing her mismatched eyes on Mermista. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ugh, don’t remind me. Die of boredom, I guess. Sea Hawk wants me to stay at his place until I’m cleared to drive and stuff, but I think we’ll drive each other crazy since neither of us are returning to work until I’m out of this sling and he gets out of his arm cast and is cleared to drive.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, but, at least you’ll have someone who is always around just in case something does happen. You said you can’t drive ‘cause you’re on seizure watch, right? What if you have one and nobody else is home?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t think about that. I guess I can’t expect Perfuma to drop everything to babysit me.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We could get you on life alert.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shove it.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0027"><h2>27. future</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Talk to the insurance company, call Bill and Rogelio to figure out the next drop, learn how to go up and down the stairs on crutches, curse himself for buying a two-story house, order the next drop, make sure he was elevating his leg enough, Marcos would be there soon and then they’d be picking up Mermista from the hospital. Just a few more hours. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It had been one night away from her and he was already having separation anxiety. He couldn’t get the image of her in that hospital bed, all of those machines attached to her while she was unconscious out of his mind. They’d been texting back and forth, she got another MRI and everything seemed to have come out perfectly, so she was cleared to go home. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A call from his own dad was enough of a distraction, however unwelcome. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I hope you know that your little stunt isn’t getting you out of the benefit.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good to hear from you, dad. Of course I crashed my bike while riding with my girlfriend just to get out of your event,” Sea Hawk replied harshly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You will not speak to me like that, Sebastian.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sea Hawk bit the inside of his cheek. “Sorry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was calling to see if you’d found a date, otherwise I intend to set you up with the young woman you escorted at Marcos’ wedding. What’s her name? Angelina? Her mother is a large client of mine and—“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whatever, dad,” Sea Hawk said, shaking his head. “I don’t care. Mermista doesn’t need to put up with all of that, anyways.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll set it up then. Don’t be late.” The call ended with a click, and Sea Hawk sighed as he rolled over onto his side in the bed, hugging Mermista’s pillow to his chest. He hadn’t even told her about this dumb benefit yet. It wasn’t that big of a deal, a platonic plus one. And then again it was, because he didn’t want Mermista feeling like she wasn’t good enough for his family when that was far from the truth. He really didn’t want her to have to go to a dumb benefit just to smile for pictures while his dad and his elite friends made passive aggressive comments. He made the mistake of bringing someone he actually cared about once, while he was in high school, and they never really looked at him the same again afterwards. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He didn’t want their pity back then, and he didn’t want Mermista to have to be around his dad any more than she had to. Hell, he didn’t want to be around his dad more than he had to. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He must have fallen asleep at some point, because he woke up to a phone call from Marcos telling him to come downstairs. Going downstairs in this cast was much easier than upstairs, time had told, and Sea Hawk was sliding into the back seat of Marcos’ car a few minutes later. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How’s it feel to be back home?” Marcos asked as he pulled out of the driveway. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Felt great to sleep in my own bed last night,” Sea Hawk admitted. “I just miss Mermista. Can we stop and get coffee on the way? She mentioned missing real coffee last night.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Course we can,” Marcos said. A few moments later, he watched Sea Hawk fidgeting in his seat in the rear view mirror,  worry etched on his face. “I know that face, and you gotta stop blaming yourself. This wasn’t your fault.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s just so fucked,” Sea Hawk said bitterly. “I’m not drinking, I’m trying so hard for her. And then this happens, and I had no control over it. I just keep thinking, what if I took another way home, what if I was going a little slower, what if I hadn’t pushed her off, maybe she wouldn’t have hit her head so hard.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s life. You can do everything right, and fucked up things can still happen. We just have to roll with it. Dwelling on what you could have done won’t do. It happened, it’s over.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mermista had checked herself out and was standing at the entrance of the hospital chatting with Rogelio and Lonnie outside when they arrived. She was dressed in clothes Perfuma must have grabbed for her, ripped jeans and a soft blue tank top that didn’t leave much to the imagination, but it probably was easier to put on with the sling she was sporting than anything else. She had one of the jackets she’d stolen from him thrown over her shoulders. Marcos got out to open the car door for her, and Lonnie said goodbye before walking towards the parking lot.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lonnie came to fix my hair, and then I checked out because I got impatient,” Mermista explained, thanking Marcos before sliding into the back seat. The nurse who shaved her head did just enough to leave room for the incision, but it wasn’t really even or particularly easy to style. Lonnie had an undercut herself and did her own upkeep, so she offered to straighten out the lines and make it look intentional. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It looks really good, gatinha!” Sea Hawk said, leaning towards her to get a better look at it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I always thought I’d look cool with an undercut, just didn’t expect this would be the way I’d find out,” Mermista laughed, taking his chin with her fingertips and leaning in for a kiss.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Here, I know you’ve been dying for good coffee,” Sea Hawk said in an effort to change the subject. No matter how many times she told him it wasn’t his fault, he still felt like he was the one to blame. He grabbed an iced latte from her favorite coffee shop from the cup holder and handed it to her as Marcos started to drive out of the parking lot.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yesss, just what I wanted,” Mermista said as she took a sip. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How are you feeling?” Sea Hawk asked softly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Other than the lingering headache, as good as I can be,” Mermista said with a shrug of her good shoulder. “Just glad to be out of there in all honesty, I don’t think I’m going to ever stop hearing that heart rate monitor beeping in my head.” Sea Hawk placed a hand on her thigh, comforting and warm as she yawned. “I am tired though, the painkillers they gave me for my head make me super drowsy.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, let’s get you home so you can sleep in a real bed, then.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A week passed just like that, the two of them spending most of the day sleeping, ordering in food and figuring out the best way to do daily tasks without agitating their injuries. When Rogelio stopped by to put the drop in storage, Sea Hawk asked Mermista to stay upstairs because the less she knew, the better. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think that, once you’re back to normal, of course, I want out,” Rogelio said. “The hospital is willing to pay for medical school for me. I’m gonna get my RN, then who knows.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure,” Sea Hawk said. “Not gonna lie, I’m considering my next moves too. It’s one of the reasons I’m not too upset about losing Falcon, I’m just not sure what I can do for the other guys. I wonder if Bill would just want to take over.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He might,” Rogelio said. “What are you gonna do?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Go back to school, I guess. Get married. Give Mermista the life she deserves, not the one I dragged her into.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Have you talked to your uncle about it?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sea Hawk shook his head, nervously rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m not eager to have it,” he admitted. “I kept doing this because I didn’t think I had a future. Now, I feel like I just might have a shot at one.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0028"><h2>28. run away</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Isn’t that kind of last minute?” Mermista was working on range of motion exercises that her physical therapist had instructed her to do at home. She only had to wear the sling to bed now as long as she was gentle on her shoulder, and it was super nice to have the use of both of her hands back, even with limited use.</p><p>Sea Hawk chewed on his lip. “He told me at the wedding that I have to go.”</p><p>Mermista looked up. “Just you?” </p><p>“Don’t take it personally, gatinha, he’s an asshole. He has never liked anyone I’ve dated, ever.”</p><p>“No, it’s not that, just sucks you have to deal with it on your own.”</p><p>“Well, I’ll have Marcos and Tomas, I don’t think it’s going to be that bad if I just avoid him. Not like I can do very much anyways,” Sea Hawk explained, motioning to his leg. He was still using the crutch with his air cast to walk, but his wrist was out of its splint and he was just using a brace now. </p><p>“I guess,” Mermista said as she went back to work.</p><p>“But…” Sea Hawk paused for too long, trying to find the words. </p><p>“What?” </p><p>“Well, he kinda expects me to have a plus one.” </p><p>“So you want me to go,” Mermista stated. </p><p>“Not really.” Mermista raised an eyebrow and he sighed. “No, I don’t mean it that way I … I don’t want you to have to deal with all of the shit, either, and well… he said at the wedding he didn’t want me to bring you, specifically.” </p><p>“We didn’t even really interact at the wedding. Did I do something wrong?” </p><p>“Of course not, you are wonderful.” </p><p>“So what is it?”</p><p>“He’s just a dick, okay?” </p><p>“Sea Hawk, it’s not that big of a deal, I’m not gonna get mad. You can tell me.” </p><p>“Well… he just mentioned not liking your hair color.” </p><p>“Oh.” Mermista had been looking at him, but she averted her gaze to the floor. “I mean, I can dye it back to my natural color, my roots are getting pretty grown out anyways since all of this…”</p><p>Sea Hawk got up from where he was sitting and used the kitchen island as a support as he hobbled over to her. “No, there’s nothing wrong with your hair, you don’t need to change anything. You’re lovely just the way you are.” He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “I love your hair. And every other part of you. You really don’t want to deal with him anyways, it’s just a whole mess. I’d rather you relax at home.” </p><p>“So what are you going to do about the plus one thing?” </p><p>“Well…” Sea Hawk laughed awkwardly. Mermista shifted in her seat so she could look up at him, expectantly. “He sort of arranged for me to go with Angelina, the bridesmaid that I escorted at the wedding, she’s a family friend and--”</p><p>“Yeah. I remember,” Mermista said bitterly, going back to what she was working on, a little more aggressively than before. </p><p>“Is that okay?” </p><p>“It’s <em> fine </em>,” Mermista replied with a little more bite than she intended. </p><p>“Okay, good! I don’t know why because you’re so cool about everything, but I was really nervous to tell you! I know you said she seemed super clingy at the wedding, but I figured with the crutches and everything and maybe I can get Marcos or Tomas to--”</p><p>“I’m gonna go take a shower,” Mermista said suddenly, sliding off of the barstool and rushing out of the kitchen. </p><p>“O-okay?”</p><p>Mermista took her time in the shower, running the water at the hottest temperature and scrubbing her skin raw. Memories of the wedding flooded her head, the way that Angelina had leaned on Sea Hawk during the photos and their walk down the aisle, what she and her friend had said in the bathroom. </p><p>Around their friends, Sea Hawk was just Sea Hawk. He scored the best weed and goofed around with everyone, loved anything with an engine attached to it, burst into song at random and overall made anything into a good time. But his family was something different, and his brothers might accept her, but she wasn’t anything like their wives. Gracia was the daughter of a congresswoman and a senator, and Meghan’s parents both taught at Ivy League schools on the other coast. It was like they were handpicked for each other by their parents, elite families keeping their kids married into the same circles.</p><p>Not to mention how they all looked like they stepped out of an advertising campaign. Even after carrying twins, Gracia was slender, her svelte form a perfect match for Tomas’ tall, muscular build. Meghan looked like a Victoria’s Secret Model, petite and curvy at Marcos’ side. </p><p>So where did that put her? Sea Hawk had lost some weight since the accident, claiming he was eating less because he wasn’t going to the gym, and she’d found it on her stomach and thighs since summer swim meets were out of the question right now. </p><p>After she dressed, Mermista leaned over the sink, looking at herself in the mirror. She’d tied her hair up in a messy bun, hoping that it wouldn’t dry as frizzy as it usually did. Her sutures had been out for a while now, the scar on her head sensitive but healing. If she was being honest, she still didn’t feel like she was looking at herself in the mirror. She wasn’t used to the shaved side of her head, and she didn’t feel like herself. </p><p>The sound of the door handle wiggling pulled her out of her head. </p><p>“You okay?” Came Sea Hawk’s voice from the other side of the door. </p><p>“Yeah! Just a minute!” Mermista called, turning on the sink water and splashing her face with it. She patted it dry with a towel, hung it back up where it belonged, and opened the door to the bedroom. Sea Hawk was sitting on the bed, the walking boot and crutch leaning against the nightstand. </p><p>“You never lock the door,” he said. He didn’t sound upset, or disappointed, just concerned. </p><p>“I guess it was just, I don’t know, a reflex,” Mermista said. “Sorry.” </p><p>“Don’t be sorry, I was just surprised,” Sea Hawk said. “Come here?” He asked, scooting over to the other side of the bed and making room for her. Mermista wavered for a moment before reluctantly climbing into the bed next to him and tucking herself under his arm. As soon as she was there she relaxed into his side, resting her head on his chest. </p><p>“Do you want to talk about it?”</p><p>“No.” Mermista’s response came faster and a little harsher than she intended it to, and she wasn’t even sure it was the truth. </p><p>“You don’t have to,” Sea Hawk said in that way that made her want to spill her guts and just say everything that was bothering her. It was the most annoying thing about him right now. She stayed silent, listening to his heartbeat against her ear. He pressed a kiss to her hair, rubbing circles on her back, and after a while she started telling him what she had heard them saying about her in the bathroom at the wedding. </p><p>“What a bitch,” Sea Hawk scoffed when she was done. “I’m sorry that happened, baby. You know none of that is true, right? She’s just talking out of her ass.”</p><p>“Like, I know that,” Mermista said. “It just doesn’t feel great knowing that I’m like, gonna be home and not able to be there to support you and she’ll be there and your dad clearly prefers her and—“</p><p>“‘Mista, you’re spiraling,” Sea Hawk said gently. “I love you so much. Trust me, I’d rather spend every single day with you rather than with them, and it’s gonna suck to go through it without you by my side. But trust me, you’re better off not dealing with any of them. I’m gonna make sure you don’t have to for as long as possible.”</p><p>“Sounds like you’re hiding me away from, like, every part of your life,” Mermista said, coming off more bitter than she intended. </p><p>“I’m just trying to protect you,” Sea Hawk said defensively. </p><p>“From your family?” Mermista rolled her eyes. </p><p>“From my father,” Sea Hawk replied. “There’s just a lot of stuff you don’t want to—shouldn’t <em> have </em>to deal with, and keeping you away from him is just better for you.”</p><p>“And why do you think that’s your decision to make?” Mermista sat up, and Sea Hawk reflexively grabbed her hand. “I can take care of myself.”</p><p>“I know that, it’s just—please don’t run away from me,” Sea Hawk pleaded, sitting up too. </p><p>“How can I run away when you still won’t let me in?”</p><p>“Baby, I’m not shutting you out.”</p><p>“Right, you’re just not telling me everything. After almost two years, you’re still keeping things from me!”</p><p>“I’m scared of him, Mermista! I always have been!” Sea Hawk didn’t realize just how loud his voice had gotten until he saw Mermista flinch away, taking her hand back. He’d never raised his voice at her before, and he hated the look on her face now. “I’m so sorry, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to yell,” he whispered. </p><p>“I…” Mermista scooted closer to him, taking his face in her hands. “I didn’t realize…”</p><p>Sea Hawk took her hands in his, kissing her knuckles. “It didn’t matter much before, back when I had nothing to lose. But now, I’m terrified that if I step out of line with him he’s going to take you away from me—”</p><p>“He can’t do that, Sea Hawk, he has no control over me,” Mermista replied. </p><p>“Over you, directly, no. But there’s plenty of things he could do to take me out of the picture—”</p><p>“I won’t let him do that.”</p><p>“You don’t understand, Mermista, he could send me to prison, he could easily make it so I can’t come near you without putting you in danger, he could—”</p><p>Mermista interrupted him with a kiss, pushing him back onto the bed. “I’m not going to let that happen,” she repeated when she pulled back, brown eyes focused. </p><p>“I wish it was that easy, gatinha, I really do.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0029"><h2>29. big shot</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Over a week between updates, nonsense! Sorry it took me so long I’m just uh straight up not having a good time</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Catra would come over to smoke from time to time, claiming she had nothing better to do. It happened more and more often now that Mermista was sleeping there every night, and Sea Hawk didn’t mind one bit. It was nice to see Mermista relaxed and having a good time, and Catra was an exciting rival when it came to video games.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was also a nice distraction from the anxiety that had been creeping up on him the last few days as the date of his dad’s benefit loomed closer and closer. It felt like a storm building up inside of him, thunder rumbling, lightning striking, downpour imminent. Accidentally yelling at Mermista the other day was a mistake that he couldn’t afford to repeat, and he knew that. She may have brushed it off then, but the look on her face, a mixture of shock and fear and anger, said everything he needed to hear. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t even news, Sea Hawk thought, as he absently ran his fingers through her hair, now a faded teal color because she hadn’t bothered to touch it up since before the accident. She’d mentioned dying it back to her natural color again, matching the ends to her dark brown roots, but hadn’t said anything since. As tough and aloof as Mermista might act, she was sensitive and empathetic to a fault. He’d watched her cry over sad movies, pay for peoples’ meals when they couldn’t afford them even when she herself was living paycheck to paycheck, bite her lip and ball her fists in frustration when she saw bad things happen to complete strangers and she couldn’t do anything. He believed her when she said she wouldn’t go down without a fight when it came to his dad, but it didn’t matter. The game Vicente Marinho played was rigged in his favor, everyone else be damned. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mermista tilted her head back to look at him from where she sat between his legs on the floor in front of the couch, a soft smile on her face as she leaned into his touch. They’d all been taking turns playing Super Smash Bros, and Catra and her friend DT were currently competing against each other after Mermista lost the last round. Sea Hawk returned her smile, ruffling her hair a little and returned his focus to the screen, cheering Catra on. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rude!” DT protested from their side of the couch, frantically pressing buttons as they battled Catra. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s smart enough to cheer for the winner,” Catra quipped. She was curled up in an armchair, her relaxed form a sharp contrast from DT’s alert and focused stance. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why don’t you put your money where your mouth is, kitten?” DT replied sharply, and Mermista laughed at the nickname. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cale a boca, </span>
  <em>
    <span>gatinha</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Catra snapped. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oi, shh, shh,” Sea Hawk laughed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s that supposed to mean?” Mermista asked, frowning.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nothing, nothing,” Sea Hawk said, busying himself with lighting and smoking the joint he’d rolled a few minutes earlier. Mermista stood up, moving to sit on the couch next to him with her legs thrown over his lap. He grinned before taking another hit, pressed his forehead to hers then slowly blew the smoke into Mermista’s mouth. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ugh, get a room,” Catra grimaced. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is </span>
  <em>
    <span>my</span>
  </em>
  <span> house,” Sea Hawk chuckled, and Mermista snorted. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, whatever,” Catra said, rolling her eyes. DT had gotten an edge on her while she was distracted, causing her to lose this round. She tossed her controller to Sea Hawk, and he caught it easily. He passed the joint to DT, who took a long hit before passing it to Catra. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mermista went to move so he could play, but he just tightened his hold on her. “No, this is good motivation,” he protested.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mermista rolled her eyes. “Sure, okay.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you figure out that event thing your dad is making you go to this weekend?” Catra asked, sounding almost bored as she stretched out over the armchair. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Figure what out? How’d you even know about that?” Sea Hawk asked, shifting his gaze from the TV to Mermista, who suddenly found her nails fascinating. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your girl was bitching about it to me the other night, about how your dad was making you go with that bitch bridesmaid,” Catra explained. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I thought you were over that?” Sea Hawk asked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can be over it and still wanna vent about it,” Mermista said defensively. “Besides, just because I’m like, understanding why it has to happen doesn’t mean I’m cool with it.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why didn’t you tell me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t want to start a fight over something you can’t change?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah but it’s just, you don’t have to go behind my back and—”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It wasn’t behind your back, you were right next to me in bed when I was texting her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know what I mean, babe.” Sea Hawk pushed his hair out of his face and shook his head, sighing in frustration, then he shook his head like he was trying to shake the thoughts out. “Ah, you know what, it’s not worth arguing about,” he said with a forced smile, pressing a quick kiss to Mermista’s temple. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re right, it isn’t, because it’s not a big deal,” Mermista said dryly, crossing her arms. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It really isn’t,” DT interjected as Catra just watched the drama unfold behind them. “A girl needs time to gossip and bitch about things with her girlfriends, you’re not her only confidant, hot stuff. It’s better that way.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sea Hawk’s jaw was clenched and Mermista could tell he was trying and failing not to let it bother him, instead focusing on the character selection screen. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just didn’t wanna keep annoying you with it,” Mermista said, softening her voice. “‘Cause it also wasn’t a big deal.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s fine,” Sea Hawk said sharply. “DT’s right, I don’t need to know everything.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just needed to vent to someone else and Catra was already texting me</span>
  <em>
    <span>—”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“I said it’s fine, babe.” Mermista chewed on her lip, and didn’t say anything else. Sea Hawk finally looked at her, and pressed his cheek to hers. “It’s fiiiiiiiine,” he repeated, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her closer. “I love you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mermista didn’t say it back, and he set the controller to the side and ran his hand up her thigh, to her hip. “Don’t make me do it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll murder you, right here in front of our friends,” Mermista responded in a serious tone. It didn’t stop Sea Hawk from grabbing her waist with one hand and her leg on the back of her knee with the other, tickling her. “No! You jackass!” She protested in a fit of laughter, trying to wriggle away but he was too strong.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Damn, so </span>
  <em>
    <span>that’s</span>
  </em>
  <span> where she’s ticklish,” Catra said as she watched the action. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mermista tried to pull back, but Sea Hawk just came with her, half laying on top of her on the couch now as he continued to tickle her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know how to end this, gatinha,” Sea Hawk purred into her ear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ugh fine! I love you!” Mermista groaned, and he stopped, pressing a kiss to her cheek. “Jackass,” she added. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But I’m </span>
  <em>
    <span>your</span>
  </em>
  <span> jackass,” Sea Hawk replied smugly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, unfortunately.” Mermista smirked, pressing a kiss to his lips that he deepened.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh, </span>
  <em>
    <span>hello, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Earth to lovebirds,” DT interrupted, waving their controller around. “We are kind of in the middle of something?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sea Hawk grinned against Mermista’s lips, pulling back before going in for another kiss, then sat up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, right,” Sea Hawk said as he grabbed the controller again. Mermista stayed on her back with her legs thrown over his lap. She reached behind herself and pulled the lever that made the couch recline, causing Sea Hawk to jump. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You need to elevate your leg,” Mermista warned. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“See, what would I do without you?” Sea Hawk asked, relaxing back into the couch. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Get a blood clot and die,” Mermista said dryly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mean,” Sea Hawk whined. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m always mean, babe, haven’t you met me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not to me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Another blunt and several rounds later, Mermista excused herself to the bedroom to get some studying done and DT moved to sit right next to Sea Hawk on the couch. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I want in.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>DT had mentioned it once or twice before, and Sea Hawk had been as enthusiastic about it back then as he was now. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not looking to increase my volume right now,” he said, motioning to his leg. “Kind of not a good time for me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure it has been very hard on you, hot stuff, but let me help you! I can take the load off your shoulders so you can spend more time playing with </span>
  <em>
    <span>your</span>
  </em>
  <span> little kitten,” DT purred, sidling up to him. “Besides, I have connects to tons of new clientele that you don’t at my fingertips with the clubs I work for.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I thought you were making decent money there?” Sea Hawk asked, looking over at Catra who shrugged and suddenly became very interested in her nails. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, I </span>
  <em>
    <span>am</span>
  </em>
  <span>, darling, but a they’s gotta have their fun money, too. Plus I wouldn’t mind the discount on the party pills myself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just don’t think it’s a good idea,” Sea Hawk said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t think, you don’t have to worry about me, hot stuff. I can hold my own, and my claws are a lot sharper than they look.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just… wait until after this weekend, I just need to get through it and then I’ll consider it, okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>DT rolled their eyes, standing up. “Whatever. Just don’t take too long. You’re not the only big shot around here. Come on kitten, night’s a-wasting. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Ciao</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Hawk.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t I know it,” Sea Hawk said, leaning back into the couch. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0030"><h2>30. in love</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Once DT and Catra had left, Sea Hawk made his way to the bedroom. He found Mermista passed out on her stomach, laptop in front of her with the screen turned off. The sound the velcro on his walking cast made when he removed it stirred her awake, and she lifted her head to rub her eyes, mumbling something as Sea Hawk climbed into the bed with her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well well well, if it isn’t the finest ass in all of the universe,” Sea Hawk admired, running his hands up Mermista’s bare thighs. He squeezed her ass with both hands before pressing a kiss to it, then moved so he was on top of her and laid down so his weight wasn’t on her bad shoulder. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, goober,” Mermista sighed contentedly. Somehow, the feeling of his weight pressed on top of her like this provided her with comfort and an unmatched sense of security. “DT get tired of having their ass kicked by the two of you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nah, I think they only wanted to come to see if I’d let them sell for me,” Sea Hawk said, pushing her hair off of her neck so he could kiss it softly. “They left pretty quickly after I said no.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh,” Mermista said, a little surprised he said anything about his business at all. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re still falling asleep pretty easily,” Sea Hawk mentioned, changing the subject before she could press further.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, this class is really boring. It’s like, I wasn’t even tired,” Mermista said. When Sea Hawk didn’t respond, she added, “I’ll bring it up at my next appointment.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sounds like a plan,” Sea Hawk said, wrapping his arms around her and nuzzling his face into her neck. “On the other hand, this is </span>
  <em>
    <span>super</span>
  </em>
  <span> comfortable, I understand why you’d fall asleep laying right here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh-huh,” Mermista said, then wriggled her hips a little. “Heavy,” she mumbled, and Sea Hawk rolled off of her. She moved her laptop to the nightstand and repositioned her pillow, laying on her side. She opened her arms and Sea Hawk moved into her embrace with a content sigh of his own, pulling the blanket over them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s getting kind of late, what do you want for dinner?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shh, shh, comfy time now,” Mermista said softly, playing with his hair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thought you weren’t tired?” Sea Hawk teased, but he snuggled closer to her anyways, pressing his face into her soft chest. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tired, no, comfy, yes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sea Hawk tried to relax with her, but he kept adjusting and fidgeting in Mermista’s arms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s wrong? Are you hurting?” Mermista asked. “Need me to get you something?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nope!” Sea Hawk replied quickly. “Just antsy. I can’t wait to go back to work next week. I love being here with you, I’m just, like, anxious to see something outside of the house.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean, you have your dad’s benefit,” Mermista teased. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sea Hawk moved to look up at her. “Other than </span>
  <em>
    <span>that.” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Have you been sleeping okay yourself?” Mermista asked. “You make me feel like a sloth, always going to bed after me and waking up before me. I miss your cute sleepy face.” She pressed a kiss on his forehead, caressing the side of his face with her hand. She looked so relaxed, sweet and beautiful, like she did in the early mornings. The sight of her was making his stomach do backflips. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love your forehead kisses,” Sea Hawk cooed, nuzzling back into her chest. “You </span>
  <em>
    <span>should</span>
  </em>
  <span> be sleeping more than me, doctor’s orders.” Truth was, he hadn’t been sleeping much, but he was hoping Mermista hadn’t noticed. It wasn’t that big of a deal, it happened sometimes. He’d be super energetic and lose sleep for a few weeks, then things would go back to normal. It was also just a nice contrast against how down and exhausted he’d felt the first couple of weeks out of the hospital. Not that he had any doubts she’d eventually bring it up, she was sharp as a whip and typically not afraid to call him out. He was just hoping he’d get away with it for a few more days. Maybe the deflection and a little distraction would work. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>[WARNING: explicit content ahead]</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“These are so soft,” he admired as he pushed his face between her breasts, snaking a hand up her shirt to pinch a nipple between his fingers. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mmmhmm,” Mermista sighed, pulling his head back by his hair and sliding down so she could kiss him. She knew where this was going, not that she was complaining.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Why do you think she was laying there on her stomach in just her panties, ass on full display for when Sea Hawk finally came to the bedroom?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had been way too horny since they’d gotten home from the hospital. A quick google search when they were both too banged up to really do anything indicated it was probably a result of her head trauma. It was frustrating and then it wasn’t, because the last week or so Sea Hawk had been on her almost as much as she had been trying to be on him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Right now, he was a man on a mission, pulling her bottom lip between his teeth as he shoved her panties down, replacing them with his hand. Mermista’s breath caught as he shoved two fingers inside of her, and she kicked her panties off before grabbing his erection through his basketball shorts. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Caralho, baby, you drive me fucking </span>
  <em>
    <span>insane</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Sea Hawk growled as he grabbed Mermista’s hips, rolling onto his back and pulling her on top of him. “I want to taste you, gracinha,” he added, rubbing his hands down her thighs and giving her that lustful smirk that made her stomach do backflips. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mermista hummed in approval as he pulled her up to straddle his face, breaking off into a moan as he immediately ran his tongue up her slit from her entrance, to her clit. Sea Hawk closed his eyes as he squeezed her ass in his hands as she grinds down on his face, entranced by the way she smells and tastes, how warm and wet she feels on his lips as he kisses and sucks on her with intent. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mermista grips the headboard with one hand and tangles the fingers of the other in his hair, trying with great effort to hold herself up while he continues doing everything he can to turn her legs into jello. He switches between sucking on her folds, swirling his tongue around her entrance, and nibbling on her clit. Every little gasp and whimper Mermista makes urges Sea Hawk on, as if he needed any more of a reason to be turned on. Every tug on his scalp sends electricity south, and he moves one hand to shove his shorts and boxers down, freeing his trapped cock. Precum is leaking out from the head, and he uses it to lubricate his strokes. He moans into Mermista’s core as he strokes himself, the vibrations overwhelming her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fuck, yes, please, baby,” Mermista gasped, tightening her grip on his hair and the headboard as she felt the pressure start to build up inside of her. Sea Hawk kept up his ministrations as she ground down onto his face, and it was like every nerve in her body was lit up, sending electric pulses right to her core. He finally pressed his lips to her clit and sucked </span>
  <em>
    <span>hard,</span>
  </em>
  <span> sending her over the edge. Mermista released her fingers from his hair and clapped it over her mouth as she came with a choked sob. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But he doesn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>stop</span>
  </em>
  <span>, instead licking and sucking and teasing her with his clever, insatiable tongue, moving his whole head to make sure he tastes every inch of her. Her thick thighs are shaking on either side of his head and her soft moans and staccato cries punctuate every single movement of his tongue and lips, and he’s stroking himself to the beat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her second orgasm sneaks up and overtakes her just as she thinks she’s come down from the first one. “Fuck!” Mermista cries as she falls forward, pressing her forehead against her arm on the headboard, panting. All of this was so nice, but right now she needed more. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sea Hawk pouts up at her as she pulls her hips back from his face, and she just snorts as she gets off of him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Time to return the favor,” Mermista purrs, dipping a hand between her legs as she leans down to replace his hand with her mouth. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Baby,” Sea Hawk all but whispers as he closes his eyes, throwing his head back as she takes him as deep as she can, relaxing her throat around the tip as soon as it hits the back of it. He runs a hand up her bare thigh as she bobs her head up and down on his cock, fondling his balls with her hand. “Oh, porra, that feels so good,” he sighs as every movement of her lips and tongue sets his nerves on fire. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sea Hawk, needing a distraction before he finishes right there, reaches down and pulls his shirt off, using it to wipe his face and the beard he’s working on dry as he does. Mermista grins around his cock, giving it one last lick up the underside before moving to straddle him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sea Hawk took hold of his erection and teased her with it, sliding the head through her slit before positioning it at her entrance. Mermista moaned as she sank down on his dick. The full feeling was heightened by the way he shifted his hips in an awkward effort to kick his boxers and shorts off over the cast, giving up once they were off his good leg. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He gave her a sheepish smile as he ran his hands up her sides, grabbing her breasts through her shirt, and Mermista just laughed, grinding down on him as she bent down to kiss him. He moved his hands down to her hips, grinning against her lips as he guided her down as he thrust up into her, finding a rhythm easily.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mermista pressed her forehead to his, panting as she snaked a hand between them, playing with her clit. “Love you,” she said breathlessly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sea Hawk felt his heart swell at the sound of that, and he pulled Mermista into a hug, squeezing her to his chest. “I love you, too.”</span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0031"><h2>31. Ange</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Now that Sea Hawk was cleared to drive, the plan was that Angelina would be dropped off at his place so they could ride to the benefit together. It was still awkward for Sea Hawk to run up and down the stairs, so Mermista answered the door when she arrived. </p><p>Angelina looked down her nose at Mermista despite only being a couple of inches taller than her, and fucking smirked. “You’re Bash’s little, uh, girlfriend, right? I don’t think he mentioned your name.”</p><p>Mermista glanced down at Angelina’s stupidly long legs, shown off with a dress that stopped mid-thigh and heels that only enhanced them. Whatever. Sea Hawk <em> loves </em> her thick thighs, and she has the hickeys between them to prove it. </p><p>“Mermista. That’s weird, he usually never shuts up about me,” Mermista responded sharply, turning to go back upstairs. Angelina huffed followed her into the kitchen, where Sea Hawk was shrugging on his jacket with his tie draped over his neck. “Here,” Mermista said, grabbing it so she could tie it for him because his knots were never as neat as hers. Sea Hawk grinned down at her, opening his mouth to thank her when Angelina practically shoved Mermista out of the way. </p><p>“Oh, allow me, I do these all the time for my dad and brother,” she interrupted. Mermista felt her blood boil, and Sea Hawk frowned, stepping back.</p><p>“It’s fine, I want Mermista to do it,” he said. “It’s kind of what we do,” he added when Angelina pouted. </p><p>“Whatever. We should get going, we’re going to be late,” Angelina pointed out.</p><p>“It’s fine, we’ve still got a few minutes--” </p><p>“Traffic was really bad on the way here.”</p><p>“Okay, and? It’s not like you have to punch in,” Mermista said as she finished tying his tie, pulling it tight. “There you go, handsome,” she said in the most flirtatious voice she could muster as she smoothed out his lapels.   </p><p>“Thanks, baby girl,” Sea Hawk said. If he noticed the tension in the room, he didn’t act on it. Instead, he pressed a soft kiss to Mermista’s forehead. Dissatisfied with just a forehead kiss, she grabbed the tie and pulled him down into a deep kiss. He leaned into it easily, wrapping his arms around her waist and squeezing her tight. Angelina cleared her throat and Sea Hawk was the first to pull back, looking a little flushed and dazed with his dazzling smile. “I want you to do that again when I get home,” he growled in a low voice, and Mermista just smirked back. </p><p>“Only if you’re good,” she teased. </p><p>“I’m always good!” Sea Hawk protested. “Right, Ange?”</p><p>Mermista prickled up at the nickname, because it was easy to just make herself forget that the two of them <em> did </em> actually know each other well. This girl was his prom date, after all. Mermista didn’t even go to prom. </p><p>And she definitely dressed like <em> that </em> on purpose. The short, flashy dress and the strappy silver heels, the way the fabric clung to her small frame, the deep v cut that showed off her perky tits. Mermista crossed her arms and grimaced, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. </p><p>“Just don’t keep me up too late,” she said finally. </p><p>“I won’t,” Sea Hawk said, leaning down for another quick kiss. “I love you, gracinha.”</p><p>“I know,” Mermista replied cheekily. “I love you, too.”</p><p>Sea Hawk followed Angelina to the stairs and before he went down, he turned back to Mermista with a wink and blew a kiss. She just smiled and shook her head as she watched him disappear down the stairs. </p><p>Mermista realized how tense she was all of a sudden. Damn. She really did love him. She’d never been a jealous person before. <em> Not </em> that she was jealous of miss sleek blonde hair and long smooth legs. She wasn’t. </p><p>She just like, wished Sea Hawk’s dad wasn’t such an ass so she could be there for him, because she knew how stressed he was. And she knew she could hold his hand and get him through it. He was <em> hers </em>. She’d been the one putting the work in. She’d been the one by his side these last two years. </p><p>Well, except for the first several months of his getting sober. All the wedding planning and receptions. Angelina stood by his side for all of that, hadn’t she?</p><p>“Fuck!” Mermista growled, smacking her hands on the kitchen island and immediately regretting it when pain shot up to her shoulder. She groaned and doubled over with pain, squeezing her arm to her side until it went from sharp to a dull throb. This was so dumb. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and dialed. </p><p>“Hey, ‘fuma. Can you come over to Sea Hawk’s for a little bit and watch a movie with me? I don’t wanna be alone. Yeah, bring some wine, too.”</p><p>Perfuma did Mermista one even better and brought her favorite fuzzy sweatpants and one of her dad’s old t-shirts, plus soy milk ice cream. Mermista barely registered the movie they were pretending to watch as she vented to Perfuma. </p><p>“And where does she get off acting like he never mentioned my name? Like for fuck’s sake, you <em> know </em> I’m all he talks about!”</p><p>“I know, I know,” Perfuma giggled as she poured Mermista another glass of wine. “Relax, she’s just trying to rile you up. Don’t let her.”</p><p>“Ugh I <em> know </em> ,” Mermista groaned. “I’m just so dumb I <em> let </em> her get under my skin.” She set the bowl of ice cream down on the coffee table and flopped back on the couch, stretching her legs and throwing them over Perfuma’s lap. l</p><p>“Aw, honey, you certainly aren’t dumb,” Perfuma comforted her, squeezing her thigh supportively. </p><p>“I bet you can’t even squish her thighs, they’re probably rock solid. Did I tell you they’ve fucked before?”</p><p>“You did,” Perfuma said. “But then you said he basically ghosted her! And he literally<em> stalked </em> you after the two of you met.”</p><p>“Yeah. I can’t tell if it was just because he was a dick back then or if there was something, like, seriously wrong with her.”</p><p>“Or he could have just not been that interested,” Perfuma said.</p><p>“Ughhh, I just want to know what she did to earn his dad’s approval, meanwhile he didn’t even acknowledge me at the wedding. He’s such an ass!” Being able to say all of the things she’d been thinking but hadn’t actually said felt kind of liberating. Perfuma was the perfect therapist, too, because she had this perfect ability to determine when Mermista wanted advice and when she just wanted to talk… and when it was time to refill her wine glass.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0032"><h2>32. dinner party</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The benefit was being held at an upscale hotel about an hour out of Salineas. The drive there was surprisingly low-key. There wasn’t much to catch up with after the wedding outside of the motorcycle accident. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I knew you’d been doing some wild stuff, but I didn’t realize you were ‘crash-your-bike-to-get-out-of-daddy’s-benefit crazy,” Angelina mused as she touched up her lipstick in the visor mirror.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I really wish people would stop saying that,” Sea Hawk scoffed. “I would have never put Mermista in danger like that for something so stupid.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Aw, lighten up, I’m just kidding!” Angelina playfully smacked Sea Hawk’s thigh, her hand lingering for a moment before she took it back. “You’re so serious all the time, now, it’s boring.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You didn’t have to come,” Sea Hawk said shortly. “And you definitely didn’t have to shove Mermista out of the way earlier, what was that even about?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Angelina laughed. “I just wanted to relive the last time I helped you get into a tux. Remember Junior Prom?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ange, that was like a decade ago.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Back when you didn’t give a fuck about anything,” Angelina recalled. “Getting into fights at school, sleeping around, doing dumb shit with our friends. I’ve always kept an eye on you, you know? It was kind of refreshing to see you turn yourself around, but I’m over it now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean, I didn’t do it for you, so…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So who did you do it for? A little girl who is going to break your heart and send you spiraling again?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s not like that with Mermista.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Didn’t you say that about your on again off again back in high school? What was his name? Falcon?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t spiral after him,” Sea Hawk said bitterly. “He started working for me, we had an agreement. Things were never going to work out, it was clear when I went to California for school.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And then came crawling back into my bed.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s not talk about this, okay? I have enough to worry about tonight. Let’s just get through this and go our separate ways.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They pulled into the valet drop off, and Sea Hawk handed a fifty to the kid with his keys as they waited patiently for him to put his air cast back on. It was too bulky to drive with, even though it wasn’t on his right foot. He decided the awkwardness of attending this event on crutches wasn’t worth it, and doubled up on over-the-counter painkillers to get through the night. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sebastian! You finally showed up!” The sound made Sea Hawk’s skin crawl. He turned to his father, feeling his blood pressure rise as he faced him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, father, thank you for inviting us,” he said curtly, watching as his father’s expression went dark for a moment before breaking into a grin that made his skin crawl. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But of course, you are my son after all. And Angelina! So nice to see you again, dear!” Angelina accepted his father’s embrace readily, even returning the kiss he left on her cheek. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The pleasure is mine!” She said brightly, hooking her arm back through Sea Hawk’s and leaning into him, her cheek pressed against his shoulder. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You are just as beautiful as always, can’t figure out why my thick-headed son doesn’t realize he won’t ever find a better match for him,” Vicente continued, leveling his gaze at his son. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She makes a wonderful </span>
  <em>
    <span>friend</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Sea Hawk countered, matching his father’s expression. “We should really get seated, leave you to greeting the other guests.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure, son. I’ll be finding you later, we need to talk. Bye for now, Miss Angelina.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tchau,” Sea Hawk all but growled as he led Angelina to the dining hall. There was a large stage at the head of the room and probably a hundred white-clothed tables, each with a number in the center of an obnoxiously large floral arrangement. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marcos waved to grab their attention and greeted Angelina with a kiss on the cheek as Sea Hawk pulled a chair out for her. When he hugged Sea Hawk, he asked: “What the fuck? Where is Mermista?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dad don’t tell you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tell me what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sea Hawk cursed under his breath. Of course the asshole didn’t tell them what he was doing, but the hug was getting a little long and awkward. “I’ll tell you later,” he assured him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>This was a rare event where he was sat with his brothers, and that increased Sea Hawk’s anxiety even more as the room began to fill with people. Two of his father’s in-laws were sat at their table, introducing themselves to Angelina. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What a lovely young lady you are. I take it you finally picked a side, Sebastian? No more pretending to be gay for attention?” one of them said, and Sea Hawk wasn’t sure how he would have responded if not for Tomas and Gracia arriving. Tomas clapped a hand on Sea Hawk’s shoulder and warned, “They’re just friends, Uncle Phil, leave it alone.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>If Tomas’ teacher voice didn’t call them off, the welcoming distraction of Gracia’s baby bump did. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We can sip on water in solidarity tonight,” she said to Sea Hawk with a wink. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Drinking is always more fun with friends,” Sea Hawk chuckled, clinking his glass against hers. It did help to have someone else at the table just drinking water, especially when his anxiety was at an all time high. Angelina’s wine glass and Tomas’ whisky on the rocks were looking very appetizing right about now. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>If Mermista were here, she’d be holding his hand under the table and giving him comforting squeezes, running her thumb over his as she gracefully deflected any negativity away from them. She’d give him knowing glances and that soft little smile of hers would keep him grounded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Their father made announcements, and Sea Hawk clapped along with everyone else. Dinner was uneventful, but even a delicious meal couldn’t ease the nausea he had been dealing with all night. And small talk wasn’t enough of a distraction, even if he was with… mostly family. Angellina kept offering him bites of her food, and Sea Hawk kept declining. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh go on, give your girl some attention,” Phil said smugly. Tomas rolled his eyes next to him, but kept his mouth shut. Not every fight was worth it. Mermista would have snapped at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fine,” Sea Hawk finally obliged, letting Angelina feed him a forkful of green beans with a smirk. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When dessert was served, someone came to the table to grab the brothers so they could go meet with their father. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The sooner we get there, the sooner we get it over with,” Marcos said to Sea Hawk as he stood up. “You all right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sea Hawk pushed himself away from the table, doubling over and coughing into a napkin, clutching his throat with his other hand. His vision blurred and his throat was closing up as he began to asphyxiate. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gracia--do you--?” Tomas held his palm open as Gracia dug through her purse for an epi-pen. Moments later he was shoving Sea Hawk’s chair back further and stabbing him in the thigh with it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on Baz, breathe,” he instructed, kneeling down next to his brother. “Breathe in, 1, 2, 3, breathe out,” he continued to repeat as Sea Hawk coughed and sputtered as he tried to follow along. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Marcos--” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m already calling.” </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Comments are always appreciated, no matter how long after the work was published! Thank you for reading!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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